SW-Lostwing:Living with Uncertainty
by mybluebudds
Summary: A prequel for "Snowwing". Everyone has an O.C who goes with Shade on his adventures, but what about the silverwing colony?Teenage Magnolia Silverwing is torn between love and hate, all the while wondering where Shade is, and why her aunt, Bathsheba, is who she is. Told in Magnolia's point of view and follows the TV series. Please read and review!
1. Fires and fading echoes

When I was little, I scared my mother to death when I accidentally got lost. I was walking outside Hibernaculum and got confused. The forest and snow seemed so big to me, the outside just swallowed me like a river swallows the land under the water. I didn't realize it at the time, but my fur blended into the snow, hiding me from the world. I slightly remember the trees and their naked branches, reaching up into the night sky as if they were trying to touch the stars, and the snow covered hills, as if the snow had made them grow into small mountains. I remember the snow reaching up and wrapping me in a warm, soft hug. I wasn't scared, most children would be scared if the land reached up and embraced them. But I wasn't. Because it wasn't really the land that hugged me. It was my father.

My father was usually easy to find but in the winter, his white fur made him become one with the snowy earth. He took me back to Hibernaculum, the next thing I remember is seeing the relief flood my mother's face and feeling her arms wrap around me. My aunt was standing near her, but she wasn't happy to see me. She was more annoyed and angry with me but she didn't say anything. She knew I was just a little girl and didn't know any better, so she didn't complain. Its one of very few memories I have that my aunt was angry but kept her mouth shut. Concealing all her anger, and all her words.

Sometimes, I try to understand how it all went away. My parents dying had changed everything for me. I live with a disability, I can't eat a hole moth and I can't breath too deeply. The owls who killed my parents injured me that badly. The biggest change is who I live with now. My aunt was called Bathsheba, she was one of the elders in the silverwing colony. She was a short, overweight bat, with long white hair that went down to her waist and grayish blue fur. She had a raspy voice and yellow, gleaming eyes. I don't know why but my aunt was more then well known for having a temper problem and for her calculating ways. She was described by many as selfish, cruel and mean. More then once, I heard youngsters quietly refer to her as a witch or an old coot.

I was never bullied though. It surprises me that I was never bullied, I look different then the other youngsters, I have a miner but noticeable disability and I'm related to the witch of the council. All typical reasons for bullying, but I was never bullied. Not by youngsters, or by my aunt. Aunt Bathsheba and I would but-heads often, but I learnt to get use to it. A lot of youngsters would tell me I should just runaway or leave or just tell Frieda about the fights. But I don't.

After all those years of arguing and watching Aunt Bathsheba say nasty things to others, you'd think I'd have enough. But I won't leave. It's hard to explain, its hard to talk about and its hard to understand, but I..I can't leave Aunt Bathsheba just because of her temper and selfishness. She's the only person I have left in my family, she's all I have left and despite her temper, she's the closes thing to a mother I'v had since my parents died. Thats why I promised myself that no matter what happens, no matter how bad my aunt is, no matter how mean she is, I'll protect her. I won't let anyone or anything hurt her. Why would I do that for someone so mean? Like I said, its hard to explain and it won't surprise me if no one could understand.

I was halfway out of a dream when something woke me up, a shove. "Magnolia! Wake up, _Now!_" Came a familiar voice. I groaned and woke up, Aunt Bathsheba was roosting next to me, her face looking more annoyed then usual.

"What?" I asked. Thinking I had done something wrong. She frowned.

"That runty friend of yours broke the law!" She said. Yes, I have friends. Four in total. Chinook, the showoff, Breeze, the drama queen, Todd, the food lover. When Aunt Bathsheba said _"runty"_ I knew exactly who she was talking about.

"You mean Shade?" My voice sounded as shocked as I felt. Shade was the adventurous one, I met him through Chinook, Breeze and Todd. Chinook bullied him a lot about him being a runt and I felt bad for him. Shade never knew his father, all he had was his mother, Ariel. His life was kinda like mine: Us having only one relative to live with and that relative being our only family, and we'd do anything to protect that relative. Although, Shade's relationship with Ariel was vastly different then the relationship I had with Bathsheba.

Ariel was Shade's mother, Bathsheba was my aunt, Ariel was soft, caring and loving, Bathsheba was mean, cruel, and selfish, Ariel and Shade had small arguments that only lasted a second and Bathsheba and I had arguments that would turn into fights and we'd end up having to sleep our anger away. I never resented Shade for his life though, I'm too young to live by myself but I'm too old to think self-serving wishes will make things better. My aunt sighed in annoyance.

"Yes! He glimpsed the sun, that little-" I tried to calm her down.

"Auntie, calm down." I took her hands in mine. "I'm sure Shade didn't mean to break that law, he's mischievous like that." I said. Aunt Bathsheba yanked her hands out of mine.

"Oh he _meant_ it alright. I don't know if he deliberately thought of it or if he's just stupid, all I know is he broke it and needs to be punished for it." She ranted. I tilted my head at her.

"Thats exactly what you said about Chinook when he ate that dead moth." I said. Its true, my aunt was disgusted and annoyed with Chinook for that. Poor Chinook got sick from eating that moth and couldn't fly for a hole week. All because he wanted to look cool. She snorted.

"Ok, first of all, I did not say those _exact_ same words! And second, I don't know what you see in those youngsters Magnolia, I can't understand why you prefer them instead of someone your own age." She said. I shrugged.

"Their my friends and I care about them..Just like how you care about the other elders in the council." I said. She gave me a strange look.

"..What?.." She demanded. I raised my eyebrows. "Well..You see Frieda and the other elders everyday Auntie, you work with them, talk to them, have meetings with them, share a roost with them and migrate with them. Surely you feel something for them, right?" I asked.

I should know this, because my aunt is an elder, I get to roost with her and with the other elders. I know all their names and their faces as clearly as a child knows the names and faces of their parents. Mercury use to babysit me when I was littler, back when I was too little to stay by myself when my aunt was at a meeting with the council of elders. I practically grew up in their roost, which was in my point of view, boring. Since I was the only child in their roost. I guess its from living in the elders roost for so long, that I tend to choose smaller things rather then big things, and I'm always cautious and careful with every little thing I do.

A strange spark shines in my aunts eyes. She suddenly looks unsure, as if I had just asked a very personal yet confusing question. "..Auntie?.." She blinks at me, then finally huffed. "..You just keep telling yourself that." She said. She then started flying. "Follow me, the owls are here." She said. "That was weird." I told myself. Why didn't she answer me? I put my hand on my head but followed my aunt outside Tree Haven.

* * *

Just like she said, Brutus was standing on a branch, looking down at the elders. Everyone was there, except for Frieda and Shade. I wondered where they were. Aunt Bathsheba landed next to the elders, I followed. It was always important to be near them so they know where I am. Brutus looked at us.

"What took you Bathsheba?" He asked.

"Waking her up." She answered, pointing at me. I snort when she does that. Its not Aunt Bathsheba's fault that I'm a heavy sleeper. She says I got it from my mother, since she was a heavy sleeper too. My aunt would have to try four or five times before I'm finally awake. She's always annoyed when I wake up because of that. I'v known Brutus since he came to Tree Haven to interview me about the night my parents were killed. I don't fear him, but I know not to get on his bad side. He and I never quarreled, but I know everything about the owls and about the law and the battle of the birds and the beasts from Frieda and the other elders. Even my aunt told me about it.

"Oh yes, the scarred girl." He looked at me. "Sleep well, Silent Lamb?" "_Silent Lamb" _was what he called me. He and his owls called me that because I have white fur and I'm usually quiet when their around. They also call me _"Scarred girl"_ because of my scars.

"Hello Brutus." I said back. I didn't really want to talk to him, not if he was going to hurt one of my friends. I heard wings flapping and look over my shoulder. Frieda was landing next to my aunt.

"Bathsheba, I'm here now." She said. Aunt Bathsheba just blinked at her. "Frieda, I would-" She started saying but Frieda spoke then. "Please." She said. I guess Frieda didn't want my aunt to say anything. I didn't want her to say anything either, if she said anything bad about Shade, it won't help at all. Frieda stepped forward.

"General Brutus, please accept my deepest apologize for keeping you waiting." She started. Brutus's eyes changed then. "Where's the boy?" He asked. "He's over there." Frieda pointed to where Shade was. Aunt Bathsheba turned her head and looked at him. I looked too. Breeze, Todd and Chinook backed away from him. Shade stood, looking genuinely scared and helpless. He looked just like I looked when Brutus came to ask me about the attack. I feel sympathy for him. Ariel flies down to him and places her hands on his shoulders, as if shielding him from Brutus. But while I'm sympathetic, Brutus is obviously unnerved.

"Bring the boy to me, so we can settle this." He said. I gasp quietly. Brutus is going to hurt Shade? I could hear muttering from all around me. Is the rest of the colony afraid too?

"No." I'm relieved when I hear Frieda's voice.

"Do as I say!" Brutus demanded.

"I will not." She shot back. Brutus looks utterly speechless.

"Frieda, such a decision jeopardize the balance of nature." He said, trying to convince her. But to my relief Frieda still won't listen.

"Brutus, you and I have flown in this forest for far too long. You don't really believe that one young bat, glimpsing the sun will upset the balance of nature do you?" She pointed to her chest. "Look into your heart." Brutus just frowned at her.

"I will not be manipulated, emotions have no place in the execution of the law." He said. Just when I think it can't get any worse, my aunt starts talking.

"My point exactly." She said, stepping forward.

"Auntie." I gasped. This is exactly what I was afraid of. "Be quiet Magnolia." She barked at me. "The owls were well within their-" I won't let her talk. "Auntie please, don't talk like that." I said as I laid my hand on her shoulder. I care deeply for my aunt, but this time I wanted nothing more then for her to just be quiet. Just this one time.

"General Brutus, with all do respect, as head of this colony I stand firm on this." Frieda started again. Brutus looked back at her. "No silverwings would be sacrificed for the sake of _your_ unjust law." She said. Brutus is so angry his feathers puff up.

**"Unjust law?!" **He practically yells. "Wow he really brings life to the expression _"Ruffled feathers"_, doesn't he?" I think to myself. I don't dare say it out loud though. He dives towards the branch and lands on it like a cat. Making the tree shake like an earthquake. I grabbed my aunt's hand and pulled her away, the other elders backed away with us. All except for Frieda, who didn't even so much as flinch. Brutus was practically nose to nose with her. (Or in his case, _beak_ to nose)

"Give..us..the boy." He demanded, in a more darker voice. Frieda was unmoved by his tone. "No. I have spoken." She said in an equally serious voice.

Brutus blinked at her but then smiled. "Very well." He then started flying. "Prepare to suffer the consequences!" He declared as he flew away. A soft murmur flew through the colony, as if the wind had a new sound. Somethings not right.

Aunt Bathsheba flew over to Frieda, I followed. Although my aunt looks confused and shocked, Frieda looks more concerned. "Frieda?" I asked. She looked at me with worry.

"Somethings about to happen, I sense it." She told me. How it is that Frieda can sense danger is something I'll never understand completely. Its as if she can see through the present and see it's secrets without actually seeing the future. I like Frieda and I respect her. She and the other elders, along with my aunt, became almost like a family. They encouraged me to learn how to fly and how to hunt, they taught me everything I know and even told me things they'v learned when they were younger. Even if I was a little girl at the time, I listened to their every lesson and I still remember a lot of them.

Before I could say anything, my aunt gasped a horrified gasp. "Look!" She pointed up ahead. Frieda and I looked. Oh no! The owls were flying towards us, with fire in their claws.

Screaming. Thats all I hear from the colony. Fearful screams so loud, they break throughout the night. Possibly waking up animals and other birds from their slumber. Some try to fly inside Tree Haven but flew out when the owls began throwing the fire covered sticks inside the trunks. All I can focus on as I fly away is stick with my aunt. Aunt Bathsheba is shorter and older then me, she could easily get hurt and so can Frieda and the other elders. I don't want them getting hurt.

I suddenly hear Shade's voice. "Help! Help! Ah somebody help us!" He cried. Shade! Without thinking, I fly into his direction. He's standing on the ground inside Tree Haven, a branch is crushed onto of Ariel.

"Maggie!" Shade gasped when he saw me. Shade, Chinook, Todd, Breeze and everyone else sometimes called me _"Maggie"_, which was basically short for my real name which was Magnolia.

"Need help, Shade?" I asked. He nodded. "My moms stuck." He said. I looked under the branch.

"Are you hurt Ariel?" If she's hurt, then this branch needs to come off gently. "Just bruised, I think." She said.

Chinook flew over then. "You guys need some muscle, let me in there." He said, taking the branch in his thumbs. He couldn't do it on his own. I joined him. "Lets do this together." I said. Shade followed.

Together, we pulled the branch off of Ariel, just enough for her to crawl out. The second Ariel was free, we dropped the branch. "Thanks guys, I owe you one." Said Shade. Chinook shook his head. "Look around, its not just us you owe." He said, he flew away then.

I looked back at Shade. "Looks like you really did it this time, huh Shade?" I said. Shade looked at me sorrowfully. "I-I didn't mean for this to happen..I was just curious." I said. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Its ok Shade, it wasn't your fault. What the owls decide to do is their own action, you have nothing to do with it." I tell him.

Some ashes started to come down like rain, burning hot rain."We have to get out of here." Said Ariel, rubbing her wing. "Lets go." Said Shade. In seconds, we were flying out of Tree Haven. Or what was left of it.

As we flew, I tried looking for my aunt and the others. I hoped they weren't trapped in that deadly inferno, the last thing I want is for my aunt or any of the other elders to get burned. Or worse, killed in the flames that roar like soft bear growl.

"Aunt Bathsheba! Where are you?" I called out. Hoping she hears me. "Magnolia!" Came her voice. I looked to my right, Aunt Bathsheba was standing on a branch, the other elders were standing there too.

I quickly flew over to them and landed next to my aunt. "Where were you?!" She demanded. "Aw Auntie, you really do care for me." I thought to myself.

"Shade needed help." I said out loud. Without warning, Aunt Bathsheba grabbed my wrists. I can feel her anger in her grip.

"You _helped_ that law breaker?!" She sounded as if I had just cursed at her.

"A-Ariel was trapped under a branch and Shade couldn't get it off on his own." I twisted my wrists, trying to break free from her angry grasp. "And I don't care if he broke the law, he's still my friend." I said.

My aunt might be an elder, but she has no control over who I befriend. And she know's it. She huffs and lets go of my wrists. "You seriously need to rethink your relationships, Magnolia." She said, crossing her arms. "Oh leave her be, Bathsheba. She's old enough to decide that for herself." Said one of the elders.

"Silverwings retreat! We must all retreat now!" Frieda called as the other silverwings flew out of Tree Haven.

As they flew, I looked around the other trees. Breeze, Todd, Chinook and Mercury were unharmed, and Ariel and Shade had gotten to a branch without trouble.

I'm relieved about that. How did I miss Shade breaking the law? I remember coming back inside Tree Haven after hunting. I banged into my aunt and we had a small argument about it. It ended with us flying up to the elders roost and going to sleep.

A lot has happened since then.

By the time Frieda finally joined us, the hole colony was in the trees. Brutus was on a higher branch, laughing quietly to himself.

"Justice has been served!" He declared and flew away. "Thanks a lot, mouse-breath!" I thought to myself. Unlike my aunt, I keep my feelings inside and keep the words I'd like to say buried inside my heart. That way, the only one who feels the weight of them is me.

I looked back at Tree Haven, which is by now a crumbling, over grown weed. Tipping over, branches falling off and making a splash in the water as they land. I was born in Tree Haven, I was raised in Tree Haven, I learn how to talk, fly, hunt and roost in Tree Haven, I even met Shade and my other friends in Tree Haven. I'v slept countless days away in that old tree, fought with my aunt, lost my parents, hung out with the elders, I was even babysat by Mercury in that tree. Now its just a memory. A burnt stump. A far cry from the amazing, beautiful tree it once was.

Thick, dark smoke with red and yellow glowing out floated out of the tree's remains, like a dark cloud. Filling the pink and purple sky with thick, stinky river surrounding it looked like a circled sunset: Its colors a mix of purple, red, different shade's of orange, and yellow in the middle. The trees all around us were illuminated by the fiery glow, coloring their bark a golden yellowish orange and dark but bright red.

Ashes danced in the air like fireflies, only hotter. Wind blew, making the elder's white and grey hairs fly and making my black hair blow with theirs. The wind also filled the air with a strong, burning smell of smoke and burned bark.

A strange whisper started coming from its remains, and glowing orange and yellow bird, animal and bat shaped clouds floated out of the fire, dancing around the smoke and disappearing. Their echoes slowly fading away. I knew what they were, and I knew what their fading echoes and disappearing figures meant.

"Wh-whats that strange smoke, coming out of the fire?" Breeze, from far off to the left asked. For the first time, I realize the entire colony has gone silent.

"The echo's of our history have been lost but history is kept in memory as well. As long as silverwings fly, our heritage will never be lost." Said Frieda. I pushed my bangs out of my eyes, I know Frieda is right about that but I also know without a home, we'r all in trouble. And if we'r all in trouble, it won't be just Aunt Bathsheba I'll have to look out for. Ariel, Chinook, Shade, Breeze, Todd, Mercury, Frieda, the other elders. I'll have to look out for them too. As I watch Tree Haven burn, I promos myself something. Owls can kill my parents, they can can burn down my home..But I'll never let them destroy who I am..And no matter what they do or what happens, I'll always stand by my friends and my aunt..Enough damage has been down. Abandoning the people I care the most for and letting the owls win won't change anything. I'll stand by Aunt Bathsheba, and Frieda, and Shade, Chinook and everyone else. And no one is going to stop me from doing that.

* * *

**A/N: I'm currently doing small edits to this story and my other stories, thats why the lines are mores spaced. Anyways, I hope you guys like the story and please review!**


	2. Storms and Strangeness

"We'd still have our home if we'd handed that troublemaker over to the owls!" Aunt Bathsheba said as she flew closer to Frieda.

"Auntie!" I gasped, how can she say that? Shade might have broken the law, but it was Brutus's decision to burn down Tree Haven!

"Don't you _Auntie_ me, Magnolia! That law breaker deserved being punished!" She barked.

"Its not Shade's fault!" I argued. Didn't I just tell her that?! Frieda places her hand on my aunt's shoulder.

"Magnolia is right. Finding a new home is easier then replacing a child." She said. Although Frieda didn't see it, another strange spark shone in my aunts eyes. Whats with that? If my aunt was thinking about something, she hid it well behind one of her famous frowns. Frieda flew to a higher branch.

"Since our home has been destroyed we must begging our migration to Hibernaculum early." She told the colony. Hibernaculum. The place I got lost in when I was little. I could only hope Shade makes it there.

"Unbelievable!" Came my aunts voice. She flew to a branch over ours. "Sacrificing our summer roost, for a scrawny bat, too small to make the migration anyway." She said, looking disgusted at Shade. "Too small?" Shade squeaked, offended.

"Don't be so mean to him, Aunt Bathsheba." I said, flying up and landing beside her. "I'll say whatever I want, you know just as well as I do that he won't make it." She said coldly. "Be fair Auntie, he didn't mean to break the law." I said, for the third or one hundredth time!

"Thats not good enough, whether he meant to or not won't change anything!"

"And neither would making him feel bad about it!"

"No but it will serve him right!"

"You just want to make him feel bad!"

"So?"

I stopped there, my aunt obviously doesn't care. For all I know, she probably hates Shade for his mistake. I can say whatever I want to her but she won't listen. Finally, I sighed.

"..Just be more considerate.." I told her. I know what I have to say to her, but I can't put it into words. Why is saying what you feel so hard? My aunt studies me but roosts on the branch and says nothing. I just sat down on the branch, next to her feet.

"Silverwings, we must ready our children for the long journey ahead." Frieda declared. I don't need to be song the sound map, I'v been to Hibernaculum before, so I'm the only one who doesn't have to be song anything. Instead, I just sit there and listen to the sound maps songs. Their all the same song. The lyrics aren't words, its sounds. When I was little, I tried to add words to the song but none of the sounds in the map resembled words. So, I just quietly mutter an old song I heard my mother sing when I was little.

"The sky is endless, yet it seems so empty. Where did the moon go? Does anybody know? Disappearing into a sky of darkness. Leaving all this emptiness."

I don't know what this song is called, I just heard my mother singing it one night. I was playing inside of Hibernaculum, chasing a cricket when I heard my mother singing it. I stopped to listen to her sing and I never forgot the lyrics. I sing this song whenever I miss her and when I do, I remember her voice. I keep this song close to me and I force myself to remember it so I can keep my mother alive. A piece of her at least.

"Where did the moon go? Does anybody know? Without her glow, how will her happiness show?"

Whats strange about the song is, every time I get to the moon part, its as if the singer is talking more about a person. As if the moon was actually someone they knew. Another thing thats weird is my father asked her about it once too, but I don't remember what they said. Except, my mother said: "She's a lost wing, Raincloud."

I have no idea who my mother was talking about and I may never know.

"Disappeared in mid air. Does anybody care? Is there any love to share? Cause I see pain behind her angry glare."

I think of the song as a story: Someone singing about the moon leaving and being angry and if anyone cares about the moon. Is it the sun? A leaf flies in my face, taking me out of my day dreaming. I looked at Frieda, she and Mercury flew away. Its time to go. With a deep sigh, I look down at my aunt, she gets off her roost and in seconds, she and I are flying.

* * *

As the smoky clouds disappeared behind us, it began to rain. As if the strong smoke finally made the clouds cry. "Where were you when that turkey burned down Tree Haven?" I quietly asked the sky, as if hoping the sky could read my mind. Aunt Bathsheba and I flew in silence. Not saying anything to anyone. Or to each other. I tried to fly a little higher then her so I could keep her somewhat, dry.

From up ahead, I could hear Frieda saying something about keeping in tight formation but the storm is so intense I could barely hear her. I looked to my right, where Shade was. He was far behind Ariel, and breathing hard. Poor guy was flying as hard as he could.

"Shade? Do you need help?" I asked him. Shade glanced at me. "No. I can do it." He said.

Chinook flew over to him. "Come on, I know you can do it Runt." He said teasingly. But beneath that teasing, I can see guanine encouragement in his voice. Shade sighed and kept flying.

"Your lagging too far behind, hang on to your mother boy!" Called Aunt Bathsheba. I didn't even know she was looking at him. As much as I dislike my aunt's tone, she's right. Shade would be safer if he'd hang on to Ariel.

A blast of lightning startles Shade, blinding him for a second. "Cling to me Shade!" Ariel called as she flew over to him.

"No, your hurt!" Shade said back. "I'm fine, I can keep up." He said.

Suddenly, lightning struck again. Only this time, it was so loud and strong, it almost deafened the colony and it formed a circle. Knocking several bats off balance. It came closer to us, without thinking, I flew into it. Thinking that if I could break it, it won't hit my aunt or Shade or anyone else. I was wrong!

It hit me, knocking me off balance. Its glow, blinded me so I couldn't see. It scared me that I couldn't see anything, without my eyes I couldn't see where I was going. "Magnolia!" I heard my aunt's angry voice but I could figure out where it came from.

I was too stunned to use my echo vision but I did hear something. "Shade!" Ariel screamed. Shade is in trouble too?! Where is he?! I suddenly open my eyes and find that although I can't see Ariel, I'm still within the colony.

I look around, but I don't see Shade anywhere. Its as if the clouds had opened up and swallowed him. I see someone flying over to me but it takes me a moment to realize that its my aunt.

"Alright, Magnolia?" She asked. Looking angry. "Yeah but where's Shade?" I asked. She rolled her eyes. "That law breaker? He lost his balance, Mercury's going after him." The way she said that, you'd think it was no big deal. I hoped it wasn't.

* * *

Mercury didn't find Shade. Frieda had the colony rest on an old boat so Mercury could look for him better. I joined in the search, even if my aunt was annoyed with me doing it. Ariel and Chinook joined too. Even Todd and Breeze joined the search. Although we searched until dawn, we couldn't find Shade. "We have to roost Ariel, dawn is coming." Said Mercury. Ariel sighed. She didn't want to stop searching for Shade. I can't blame her, I want to keep searching too. Weather dawn is coming or not. But all that came out of her mouth was: "..He's out there somewhere..I just hope he's ok."

Roosting was a blur, I roosted with my aunt and the other elders as usual but I could sense a strain in the roost. Aunt Bathsheba seemed annoyed as ever, Frieda kept a distance from her, and the other elders seemed concern. Was it because Frieda and my aunt disagreed over what to do with Shade? or was it just because Frieda knew they had to find Shade and Aunt Bathsheba just didn't care for him? Either way, I didn't ask about it.

We continued flying the next day. While we flew, Mercury searched for Shade, while keeping an eye out for owls. I was surprised when Breeze flew over to me without Todd and Chinook. "Hi Maggie." She said. "Hi Breeze." I said back. Breeze usually hangs out with Chinook and Todd, to see her without them was a funny change but its not a bad thing. Chinook and Todd are probably just flying with their mothers, or maybe Breeze just wants to fly with a girl for a change.

"Your aunt's talking bad about Shade again." She said, pointing. Up ahead, I saw Aunt Bathsheba, Ariel and Frieda talking. My aunt looks angry, as always. Frieda's talking in that familiar, calm and reasonable voice of hers. Ariel looks worried for a minute but then smiles. "Whats with your aunt anyway?" Asked Breeze. I shrugged. "I wish I knew, she's been testy a lot lately." Breeze looked at me funny. "Do you think its because of Shade?"

"Its either Shade, or Tree Haven's destruction." I said. I wanted to ask my aunt for myself but I knew it was a bad idea. My aunt would most likely rant about how glad she is that Shade's gone, and once she starts ranting, she'll go on and on and on. Breeze glanced at my aunt, then back at me.

"If Elder Bathsheba is so..You know, selfish and cruel and annoying, why do you even stay with her?" She asked. I sighed. That question is the same one I'v been asking myself since I was little.

"..Its…Its hard to explain.." I told her. Breeze must see that its hard for me to talk about it. She changes the subject. "Ok..So, do you like any boys?" She asked. I snorted. Boys? Why would I be interested in them? The only males I know are Mercury, Todd, Chinook, Shade and all the male elders. Theres also Harold, an old friend of my aunts and of Frieda's. He's the same age as they are and he hangs out with my aunt every time I see him. But the type of boys Breeze is talking about are boys girls drool over. The only one I think is that type of boy is Chinook, and I don't even feel that way towards him.

"No, I'm not ready to have a boy dancing on my lips." I said. Breeze laughs at me. I have a weird way of saying things. _Boys dancing on my lips_ is my way of saying _boys kissing me_. Of course this talent made Frieda and the other elders laugh all the time. My aunt only snorts and chuckles at me whenever I say something like that. She never laughs, only smiles or snorts or just chuckles. To make my aunt laugh would be one of my goals. I'd love to hear her laugh, just once.

"You and your funny language, Maggie." She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "How do you do that anyway?" She asked. I shrugged again.

"I don't know, I just do." I told her. I have absolute no control over that talent of mine, its like it has a life of its own. "Well anyways, why don't you want a _boy dancing on your lips_ then?" She asked. I giggle when she says that. She giggles too.

"It sounds better when you say it." She said. I blushed a little. "I guess so." I said. Then I thought about what she asked.

"I'm just not interested in boys." Breeze looks at me funny again. "Is it because their not good looking enough?" She asked. "No, I'm just not ready for boys yet. Not like you with Chinook." I answer her. Breeze gasped. "How did you know I like Chinook?" She demanded. "He's all you ever talk about." I answer her. Its really not that hard to tell when Breeze likes someone. She blushed. "Well..Don't tell Chinook or Todd, ok?" She said.

"I won't, I promise." I told her. Again, Breeze changed the subject. "So do you think Shade is ok?" She asked. "I think he is, you and I both know Shade's not the type of male who would just give up." I said. I don't think Shade is alive, I _know_ he's alive. Shade might be a runt, but he's strong, brave and smart. He'll be alright, I just know he will.

"Yeah, he's always trying to prove himself. What better way to prove that he's strong then to return to the colony after a storm?" Said Breeze.

"Yeah and Ariel really misses him." I added, remembering how sad Ariel looked when we were roosting. I didn't realize until now but we have reached the city.

The city has always been a strange place to me. Its like a part of the sun is trapped within the buildings and lights in the city. With its tall buildings standing like trees yet thicker and wider, and made out of cold, hard cement instead of warm, fresh wood. The noises are different too. _Honk! Beep! Wee Woo! Wee Woo! Bong! Screech! _Theres so much noise in this maze of buildings, its a wonder to me how any of the humans can stand it.

Everywhere I go, its as if the land has a song of its own. The sounds the animals and birds make, the sound of the wind, the bugs rhythm, the way the leaves blow and fly in the breeze, the smells in the air, the colors of the grass, trees and plants. Its not just the song of the land thats different, its the lands colors that are also different. It seems that when the land doesn't belong to animals and birds, it belongs to humans. And humans are strange creatures. Every time I think of them, I think about Frieda's band. How it cocoons around her wrist and glows whenever the light shines on it. I don't know how she got that band but I don't ask about it. When I was little, I thought only the head elder gets a band and the band itself gets passed down to one head elder to the other. I don't think that anymore, for one thing Frieda can't take it off. The other reason is from living with the elders for so long, I'v learned that Frieda is the first and only head elder who has a band. Maybe one day, I'll ask about her band.

"Dive! Take cover!" Mercury suddenly yelled. Just like he said, we ducked and hid on the side of a building. Brutus and his owls flew right by us, not even seeing a single bat. Brutus looked angry though. Angrier then I could remember. What got his feathers ruffled this time? As if Mercury had been reading my mind, he spoke.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"I can't imagine. I thought the score was settled with the owls when they burned down Tree Haven." Said Frieda.

Aunt Bathsheba frowned. "I guess they didn't consider that punishment enough." She said, glaring at Ariel.

"Auntie be nice." I said. I don't want Ariel feeling bad.

"I said I'll say _whatever _I want, Magnolia. Stay out of it." She growled at me. Oh Auntie. Frieda frowned but ignored my aunt.

"Owls in the city are uncommon and those owls were in battle formation. Thats never a good sign." She said.

We waited there for a little while before flying off again. All the while, I couldn't stop thinking about how angry Brutus looked. What happened _this_ time? When we approached the tower with the _Bong! _Frieda use her echo vision and looked unsure.

"I do not like this. We should skip this landmark and move on to the next one." She said. I squinted at the tower. Three pidgins stood there. Looking in all directions. "Don't be so dramatic Frieda, its just some pidgins. So what?" Said Aunt Bathsheba. Frieda's not being dramatic. Breeze is often dramatic. Frieda's no where near dramatic.

"First owls in battle formation, now pidgins on guard duty at night. Something is wrong." Said Frieda, looking serious.

"She's right, Auntie. I'v never seen owls and pidgins act like this before." I said. Its true I'm only a teenager, and Frieda, Aunt Bathsheba and the other elders have been in charge long before even I was born and they had told me several stories about their adventures and about the law. Frieda even took me down to the Echo Chamber and told me about Nocturna's promise and about the battle for the birds and the beasts. But in all those stories I was told, I never heard of one where owls flying in battle formation and of pidgins on guard duty at night. And I'v never seen it happen before either.

Aunt Bathsheba huffed. "You are the leader Frieda..Well carry on." She frowned. "But I still disagree." She then flew off. I sighed.

It seems all my aunt does is disagree with everything and everyone lately. "Well, she's just full of hot air…Thats all…She's just upset that Tree Haven was destroyed…She'll get over it and then things will go back to normal…" I told myself. But even I know something is happening to my aunt. She's changing, and I don't like it. Living with my aunt has never been easy, but it seems its getting a little harder.

As we flew, I couldn't shake the weird feeling that we were being watched. I didn't dare tell my aunt though, she'll just think I'm being silly. So I ignored the feeling and just kept flying. Silently singing my mother's song in my head.

"The sky is endless, yet it seems so empty. Where did the moon go? Does anybody know? Disappearing into a sky of darkness. Leaving all this emptiness. Where did the moon go? Does anybody know? Without her glow, how will her happiness show? Disappeared in mid air. Does anybody care? Is there any love to share? Cause I see pain behind her angry glare." I quietly sing to myself.

* * *

When we finally left the city behind us, we found ourselves in the forest behind the city. Pine trees stood tall, the tips of their tops pointing at the sky as if counting the stars. I wonder what that feeling of being watched was all about. I never felt that feeling before, it was the type of feeling when you feel chills race up and down your back, a sick, panicking feeling growing in your stomach, and the desire to fly faster. It couldn't have been the pidgins or the owls that made me feel that feeling, so what was it?

"All clear." Came Mercury's voice. He pointed at something far ahead. "Finally, a place to roost." Said Frieda. Has it been that long? Huh, I must have been so deep in my thoughts I lost track of time. The place Mercury leads us to is a high, tree-like building with X's on the sides. Its newt to a few buildings made completely out of wood. Theres several logs laid out on ground, stacked onto one another. Theres even a river behind the buildings. Its so pretty here.

"Frieda, I'm sure Shade will catch up." Said Ariel, She and Frieda were roosting together.

"Ariel, we can wait here a few days-" Wingbeats interrupted her. "Frieda!" Oh great, now whats gotten my aunt angry?

"This is no time for the colony to be lazing about." She complaint as she landed. I sighed.

"Auntie, we'r all tired. Resting isn't being lazy." I said. My aunt rolled her eyes. "No. But it is wasting time." An elder flew near us, going out hunting I guess. My aunt surprises me by saying another thing.

"The weak should be left behind." She said coldly.

"What?" Ariel looked shocked. I narrowed my eyes at my aunt.

"So your saying that if _you_ were weak, we should leave _you_ behind?" I asked sarcastically. Aunt Bathsheba frowned at me.

"Don't you use that tone with me, Magnolia. You know full well what I meant." She said. Frieda just blinked at her. "The colony arrived together and it will leave together." She said in a straight voice.

My aunt huffed and flew away. "Sorry about that." I said. "Its ok Magnolia." Said Ariel. Frieda put her hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to deal with Bathsheba's temper you know, Magnolia. I can talk to her about it, if you like." She said.

Frieda and I are almost like friends. I love her wisdom and her kind heart. She always chose the right thing before anything else, thinking her way out of any type of situation.

"No, its ok Frieda. I'm use to her ways." I said. I can live with my aunt's selfishness, she's never done me any harm.

"Are you sure?" Frieda asked. She sense's my concern, I know she does.

"Yes, I'm sure." I answered her. Frieda studies me for a minute, but understands. She knows I won't leave my aunt for anything. "Alright, if you say so." She said softly.

"I'm going hunting, if my aunt comes looking for me, can you tell her I'm out hunting?" I asked. Frieda smiled. "Of course dear." She said. "Thank you." I said and started flying. "Be careful Magnolia, we don't want you getting lost." Ariel called. "I will." I called back and continued to fly.

I had just finished eating half of a moth, when I suddenly saw something…Something, I never seen before.


	3. She needs me, I need her

Water. But its not water. Its circular, small drops. Floating as if theres no gravity. I could see faded rainbows inside, clashing together like fog or fire. Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange, Yellow, all mixing together, making new colors. Inside, my reflection is small and distorting but as colorful as the faded, surface rainbows that decorate the circled, floating water.

Curiously, I reached out and pocked one. It popped, splashing me with tiny, soupy smelling, rain. I dry my face and continue to watch them float around. "What are these things? Where did they come from?" I thought to myself. I love the colors in the circles, its nothing I'v ever seen before and their so beautiful. I decided to follow the strange circles, to where ever they came from.

It wasn't hard to follow them, I just had to fly past them and follow the trails they left behind. Like following a river. The circled water-drops were coming from a small human machine that was blue but had a small, yellow flower shaped circle in the center of it. Its petals were as skinny as a stem but on each end, there was a small circle. The circles was were the water-drops were coming from.

A small human girl was playing with them. She had short but very wavy hair, that seemed to have captured a dandelion flower. I'v always like dandelion flowers, they reminded me of the law. Dandelions start as the sun, its petals bringing light and warmth to the world far below its skies. But when the night comes, the gorgeous, golden petals fade away and come back as the moon. With white fuzz glowing all around it. Signaling that its safe for bats to come out. You can wish on the tiny moon, wish for the sun to come back, and then the winds will come and blow the glowing fuzz away. Braking the moon into tiny stars, that fly in the breeze. Whispering your wish. And as if granting your wish, another dandelion, grows. Bringing back the tiny sun. I'd like to think dandelions are a small bit of Nocturna's promise. That their a sign that the sun, the real sun, will one day light up the day for bats.

The little girl see's me, I'd say she's about that age when children learn how to speak. The same age I was when my parents died. She waddles over to me and picks me up. "Bat." She squeaks. I'v never seen a human before, let alone a child human. I don't want to hurt her though. I know I should struggle to get out of her grip but I don't want to. I know she's not going to hurt me, but the real reason is because I was blind to negative things when I was her age. I thought the hole world was a safe, loving place. With only beauty, peace, love and happiness.

Completely blind to evil.

When my parents were killed, I wasn't blind anymore. And when I wasn't, it was like being underwater. The things I use to think and see were right in front of me but I just can't see it as well as I would have liked to. Sometimes, I'd like to be blind again. To be unable to see evil, unfair laws, wrongful justice, lies, cruelty, and death. To see them only as mere nightmares, a shadow in my mind that can't hurt me. But at the same time, being able to see them makes one wiser.

It shows how dark shadows can be, how to protect yourself and others around you. My parents deaths taught me something too. While there is beauty and love in the world, theres also ugly and hate. As much as we dislike it, there can't be beauty and love if there's no ugly and hate. The best we can do is look past all the hate, past all the ugly, and find concealed love, and hidden beauty.

I guess thats why I deal with Aunt Bathsheba. A secret wish to break down all her walls of selfishness and cruelty, to try and find the rooms she's hiding. I cant go into the rooms, I can't see them, but I can see whats in them. If I get the chance to.

I don't want to take that blindness away from this child though. She doesn't deserve to have her peaceful world destroy by a glimpse of pain.

Another water-drop floats by, making her laugh. "Bubble." She reached up and pocked it. Is that what their called? Bubbles? I like the name though, it reminds me of fireflies, its one of those names that just have that creative feel to it. The little girl lets me go and I fly around with the bubbles. Making the little girl laugh as I do it. I glide past the bubbles, their circled bodies floating under and above my wings. It amazes me how the bubbles could cadge in water and how the soupy smelling water can color the surface with those mixed matched rainbows. Colliding like fire, making new colors.

I wished Shade was here, he'd love flying next to this crazy human invention.

I would have stayed here for hours, if I hadn't suddenly heard someone calling me. "Maggie! Maggie!" I looked around. Where did that come from?

"Todd?" I called out.

Todd flew out of the bushes. His eyes widened when he saw the bubbles.

"What are those?" He asked.

"Their called bubbles. The humans made them." I said. Todd glanced at the little girl, who was now poking at some of the bubbles. Making them pop. He looked back at me.

"Thats nice Maggie but we have to get back to the colony." He said.

"Why? Did something happen?" I asked.

"Yes, the owls are after us." He said in a scared voice. What? After us? Why would the owls be after us?

"Then lets go." I said. We flew away at that moment. The little girl waved at us. "Bye bye bats!" She called. At least some beauty can be seen.

* * *

When we come back to the roost, the colony looks concern. Their all muttering to each other. Chinook looks as if he's seen a ghost, Breeze is wrapped tightly in her mother's wings. The only one who looks more annoyed then scared is my aunt. Oh Auntie.

I land next to her, Todd flies over to his mother. I look at my aunt. "Whats going on?" I asked. "Apparently, theres a bounty on our heads." She answers with annoyance. I can't tell if she was annoyed with me for not being around, or if it was the fact that we were being hunted by owls.

Suddenly, owls started flying towards us. Frieda and Mercury lead us to the building and we go inside. Ariel, Frieda, Aunt Bathsheba and I land on one of the logs that run across the ceiling like a bridge. The owls are peeking and breaking into the walls and ceiling. Trying to get in. How Ironic. Just minutes ago, I was playing with bubbles and forgetting about the shadows of life. Now, I'm hiding from owls and I'm afraid for my life. Things change drastically, don't they? Aunt Bathsheba gasped. I looked up and saw apart of the ceiling breaking. "Oh crap.." I think to myself. Now what?

"This way, keep it tight and be careful." Said Frieda. She then flew down, Ariel, Aunt Bathsheba and I followed. And so did the colony. As we fly, I try to stay next to my aunt. I can't let her get hurt. I can't let those owls kill her. These owls aren't the same ones who killed my parents, but I don't want to lose my aunt to owls anyway. I'v already lost my parents to owls, I don't want to lose my only relative left too. The human's wood machine had silvery circles. (They love circles don't they?) These circles move fast, and as they land on the wood, they cut through the bark. Tearing their wooden flesh, scattering splitters this way and that. We fly over, around and on top of the machine, trying desperately to get those owls off our tails.

Finally, we start flying towards one of the silver circles. My aunt gasps, I see why. This close, we could see the circles had teeth outlining them. Thats whats cutting into the bark.

As we fly, a red bird flew over to us. Aiming at my aunt. "Auntie!" Without thinking, I pushed her out of the way. As I did, I felt a sharp, stinging pain in my shoulder. Oh shoot!

"Magnolia!" My aunt yells. I can feel myself falling. I can't get my balance back! To make things worse, I'm bleeding. Has my arm been cut off? Suddenly, I feel claws, giant claws, wrap around me. Trapping me in their grasp. I look up and see Atlas, Brutus's second in command. I saw him once, when I was little. After the attack, Brutus had Atlas watch Aunt Bathsheba and I. Because my aunt is an elder, he also ended up watching Frieda, Mercury and the other elders. Serving as kinda like a body guard, in case the owls who killed my parents and injured me would come back to finish me. The owl who once meant protection, was now glaring down at me.

"Lets make this easy, Magnolia. We don't want to _cut _open old wounds now, do we?" He's not serious is he? Would he really cut me open? The very owl who once was put in charge of protecting me? "D-Don't hurt my aunt, or Frieda, or any of the silverwings." I said. Frieda must have taken them somewhere, I can't even see Aunt Bathsheba anywhere. Was she hurt? Did the machine hurt her? Atlas squeezes me. Clawing my head in the process.

"Where is your colony headed?"

I decided to play dumb. "I don't remember."

"Your lying, you know very well where your headed."

"No I don't! We don't migrate _all_ the time!"

"How can you forget?"

"Its been a hole year since we last did it!"

Atlas considers this. "Where are you migrating to?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"I'm afraid thats classified."

"Then I can't tell you." Why should I tell Atlas where we'r migrating to if he won't tell me why he wants to know?

He squeezes me tighter. I feel my stomach being pressed, my lungs feel crushed."Please don't make me throw up." I think to myself. I'm not just afraid I might throw up, I'm also afraid I'll suffocate. Again, without thinking, I leaned down and bit him. Digging my teeth into his claw as hard as I could. Atlas lets out a girly scream. Huh, and all this time, I thought he was a_ tough guy_. He lets go of me, the second he loosens his grip, I jerk out of his grasp and fly as fast as I could.

"Magnolia!" Its Mercury! He's waiting for me in a small opening in the wall that leads outside. I fly over to him, his eyes widened when he see's my injuries.

"Your hurt."

"I know but I'll be ok." I said. I just wanted to get out of here. He looks at me worriedly but leads me to where Frieda had lead the colony to.

The colony was hiding in the back of a human machine. It had logs sticking out of it, all held there by a giant, orange wing. As if the humans has made an enormous, almost bat wing shaped, blanket.

Mercury leads me inside. Frieda see's me and looks at my wounds. The cut on my head is small, about as big as my thumb. But it still bleeds. I tiny drop of blood runs down the side of my face. The cut on my shoulder is worse, its a deep cut. About as long as my finger. Its not deep enough to cause an infection but deep enough for it to bleed small rivers of blood.

"You were lucky, these wounds can easily be healed with some herbs." Said Frieda. I'm relieved I still have my arm and my wing. That was one close call.

"Where's my aunt? Is she ok?" I asked. If my aunt was harmed because of me, I would never forgive myself.

Frieda smiles at me. "You saved her. She's not hurt or anything, but if you hadn't pushed her when you did, she would have been hurt by that bird." She said. I sigh in relief. I'm fine and so is my aunt. Someone suddenly grabs me by my arms. I'm so started, I gasp. Frieda and Mercury both jumped, also startled.

Its Aunt Bathsheba. She's holding my wrists in that angry grip she had when I helped Shade back at Tree Haven.

**"Don't you ever pull up a stunt like that again! Do you hear me?!" **She yelled at me. I never seen my aunt like this before, her face is filled with anger but theres something else too. She looks almost relieved. And her eyes. Her eyes are filled with..Tears? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Aunt Bathsheba never cries. I'v never in my life seen her cry. Gently, I lay my hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her down.

"I won't Auntie, I'm sorry I scared you." Aunt Bathsheba is unfazed by my apology. She blinks and tears run down her face. She either ignores them or just doesn't notice.

"Scared me?..You gave me a heart attack!..Don't you ever do that again!"

"I promise I won't." I reach over and dry the tears from her rosy-peach cheeks. "Please don't cry, Auntie." I never seen tears run down my aunt's face before but Its hard to see her with them.

She suddenly hugs me. Not a hard hug, just a small but warm hug. If she's crying, I can't hear it. It sounds more like sighs. I wrap my arms around her and hug her. Muffling the soft sighs coming from her.

Frieda and Mercury exchange glances. I can tell Mercury is just as stunned as I am. He's never seen her cry before either.

Frieda looks more concern. Had she seen my aunt cry before? Probably. From what I heard, she and Aunt Bathsheba have been known each other since they were little. Surely Frieda must have seen her cry back then.

Frieda has one of the elders tend to my shoulder and head, but I don't dare take my arms off of my aunt. Theres something about the way she looked at me. I don't know how to describe it but I saw fear, relief, and something I can't quite place. Was Aunt Bathsheba scared she'd lose me? Then it occurred to me.

Even though I'v been protecting my aunt, she never once told me that she loved me. Well, does she? And why won't she tell me? Maybe she's scared that if she loves me, she'll lose me.

Just like how my parents died. My mother was her younger sister, and she use to look after her after their parents died. My aunt loved my mother, I know that.

For the first time, I begin to realize just how much my parents deaths must have effected her. Losing not just her brother-in-law, but also her own sister too. The pain and sorrow must have been horrible on her. Maybe she is afraid to love me, that if she does, she'll lose me. Just like she lost everyone else she ever loved: Her own parents, her sister, her brother-in-law. I'm all thats left.

Bathsheba. The witch of the council. The ill-tempered elder. The selfish one. My aunt. Needs me just as much as I need her.


	4. The only one

I stayed in my aunts arms for a while. I didn't want to let go of her. She had stopped whimpering, but she still looked angry. I couldn't tell if she was angry at me for saving her and getting hurt in the process, or if she was angry at Frieda for having us roost in that human place. Either way, neither of us spoke. Occasionally, I'd rub her shoulder and she'd look at at me but that was as much as it went.

My wounds don't hurt, they stopped hurting hours ago but even if they still hurt, I wouldn't feel them. I was too busy trying to imagine my aunt as a young girl.

I did this a lot but this time, I wanted to really think about it. We were sitting near an opening in the blanket. Moonlight was shining on Aunt Bathsheba, making her grey fur and white hair glow. Actually, her hair looks more like a very light shade of crystal blue. Did she once have blue hair? I tried to picture my mother. Soft blueish grey fur, baby blue hair and yellow eyes. There was some obvious differences between my aunt and mother, Frieda said that my mother was born when she and my aunt were young teenagers. That would mean that by the time my aunt became an elder, my mother was close to my age when the owls attacked. My aunt also had to take care of my mother when their parents died, I remember she told me that once.

I wondered how old she was when she met my father. Again, I tried to picture my aunt as a young girl. I can see her with blue hair, lighter bluish-grayish fur. She might have been skinner back then. Either way, I think she was beautiful back then. What happen to her? Why is she like this?

_"There is good in her heart Maggie, but only those who are patient can see it."_ My mother told me that when I was little. Before the attack. When I was learning how to walk, I accidentally tripped and stepped on my aunts foot. Aunt Bathsheba was so annoyed with me, she snapped at me.

_"Watch where your going!"_ She had said. She scared me and I jerked away from her. My father picked me up and held me.

_"Calm down Baths, I'm sure she didn't mean to step on your foot like that." _He had said. I don't remember what happened after that, only that shortly after it my mother told me that there is good in Bathsheba's heart. My mother knew something about my aunt, she knew there was a reason for her behavior. But she didn't know. "She's a lostwing." I thought to myself. A lostwing, who flies mysterious skies.

* * *

The machine suddenly stopped, and seconds later Mercury spoke. "All clear!" He and Frieda then lead the colony outside of the machine's cover and we flew into the trees. It was a little lighter outside now, close to dawn. There weren't any owls anywhere, or any red birds. But even though there wasn't a single bird in sight, my aunt did something she won't normally do. She flew next to me, as if she were trying to protected me from some unseen danger. I was about to ask her why but she gave me a look that said _"Don't ask" _all over it. I stayed silent. Aunt Bathsheba sometimes did the strangest things. I'd like to think she was just eccentric in a way, but I know it might be a different reason all together. Finally, we landed deep in the woods. Branches stuck out at all angles, dead leaves dangled on dried twigs, and the night sky made the trunks look greener then usual. Aunt Bathsheba and Frieda landed on a branch. I roosted on the branch over them. "Chinook!" Frieda called. Chinook flew over and landed in front of them. For the first time in hours, my aunt spoke.

"Why would the owls target our colony?" She asked. Her voice sounded a little different then usual. Chinook nervously looked around. Uncomfortable with my aunts gaze. No one ever is.

"Well I heard some flying squirrels say that a silverwing was on a killing spree." He said. Frieda and Aunt Bathsheba looked at each other, stunned. The other silverwings muttered to each other.

Frieda silence everyone when she spoke. "I have never heard of bats killing animals. If the owls believe this, then their flying in formation and pidgins on night guard make sense." She said. Is that why Brutus was so ticked? because he believed we were killing animals? That owl really needs to take a vacation. My aunt had a look of disgust and annoyance.

"We should have should have given up Shade in the first place." I gasped softly when she said that. How can she think that? I doubt it would have made any difference. Would it?

"Auntie-" She cut me off.

"Stay out of this Magnolia." She barked at me. "If Shade is the one killing animals, then he's brought the owls on all our heads." Muttering. Frieda, Aunt Bathsheba, and I look around. The colony was muttering again. Some said Shade was a murderer, other didn't believe it. Some said we should have let Brutus take him, others disagreed. Finally, Frieda spread her wings. "Enough." She looked down at Aunt Bathsheba with a slight frown. "Whats done is done." My aunt just blinked. Still looking annoyed.

Mercury spoke then. "Dawn is coming, where do we go now?" He asked. Frieda crossed her arms, trying to think I guess. My aunt smiled a devious smile. "Oh great, what is she thinking _this_ time?" I ask myself. "We must continue on as scheduled." She said. Frieda just glanced at her. "The towers are too exposed, it may not be safe."

"We'v already suffered enough from your rash decisions." She pointed at Frieda, making the leader take one step back.

"Aunt Bathsheba, please." What is with my aunt? Is she just hellbent on making Frieda look bad? She frowned at my cuts.

"Look at what you and your decision to roost near that wood building caused, Frieda." She grabbed my arm. The one with the cut. "It caused cuts on my niece's shoulder and head! Your suppose to keep us safe, not make us get hurt." She growled. What? How can she say that?

"That wasn't Frieda's fault Aunt Bathsheba! She chose to roost near that building, yes. But thats all she did. It was my decision to push you out of the way Auntie, and my decision got me get hurt. Its my fault I got these cuts, please don't blame Frieda for that." I plead with her. My aunt frowns at me. "You were foolish to do that, Magnolia. You always have to make foolish designs like that." She let go of my arm.

"You and Frieda both make bad decisions."

"Bad designs are better then no decisions at all." Great! Looks like my aunt and I are going to have an argument, right here in front of the entire colony.

"Only to those who can't think of a better decision."

"So instead of roosting near that building, you would rather keep flying until your wings break?"

"Magnolia Snow Silverwing, don't you dare use sarcasm with me!"

"Stop blaming Frieda for everything!" I can't help it, even I'm getting annoyed with my aunts behavior.

Before she could say anything more, Frieda spoke. "Calm down, both of you." She said softly. For the first time, Aunt Bathsheba and I become aware of the muttering coming from the colony.

"They argue a lot don't they?" Said one bat. "I'm surprised she stays with that aunt of hers." Said another. "At least its not a physical argument." Said someone else. Seeing how everyone is talking about us, Aunt Bathsheba and I stop arguing. But it doesn't stop my aunt from continuing to make Frieda look bad. "We must get back to our route." She said in a more calmer voice. Frieda looked around. The colony had stopped talking about us and were now talking about Frieda.

Frieda sighed. "Alright." She looked at the colony. "Prepare to head to the towers of fire!" She declared. Ariel looked worried, possibly thinking of Shade. My aunt had a big, devious smile on her face. I know that smile. Thats her _"I'm going to get my way with a devious plan" _look. I'v seen her smile that smile hundreds of times before, but tonight it seemed more devious then usual. As we start flying, I quietly sing my mother's song to myself.

"The sky is endless, yet it seems so empty. Where did the moon go? Does anybody know? Disappearing into a sky of darkness. Leaving all this emptiness. Where did the moon go? Does anybody know? Without her glow, how will her happiness show? Disappeared in mid air. Does anybody care? Is there any love to shere? Cause I see pain behind her angry glare."

As I quietly sing it to myself, I wonder why my mother made the song. Surely she didn't know the moon, or why it disappears in the day time. Whether the song makes sense or not, it meant something to my mother, and if it meant something to her, then it means something to me too. Even if I don't know what it is. I'm sure my mother would have told me what it meant. If she was here right now, she would tell me what the song means. Why she made it, and who the moon is. The only reason why she didn't tell me when she was alive was because I was a little girl back then, and I probably wouldn't have understood.

Funny, my aunt seems to think she can boss me around as if I were still that same little girl. Well I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, and I can make my own designs. Whether my aunt likes it or not.

My aunt. I glanced at her as she flew. Did she know about my mother's song? Did she understand what it meant? Does she she even know why my mother made the song up? I sigh. Probably not. Aunt Bathsheba was never one to care for something as small as a song. I'v never heard her sing, or ask anyone to sing to her.

If she knew anything about my mother's song, she didn't care.

Suddenly, someone flies over to me. I look and see Chinook.

"Hi Maggie."

"Hi Chinook" He looked annoyed.

"I can't believe your aunt said that stuff, aren't you mad about it?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you talk to her about it?"

"Because it will only make things worse."

"But what if she keeps doing it?"

"She'll stop eventually."

Chinook raised his eye brow at me. "How can you stand her?" He asked.

"Simple. I just grit my teeth and let her lose steam." I said. Its easier to let Bathsheba say all the crap she wants, ignore it and let her calm down afterward then make her bottle it up. But I'd rather have her say it to me when we'r alone then have her say it to anyone else and in front of the colony. That way, the only one effected by her words is me. Chinook gave me a look.

"She's letting out more then steam Maggs, she's letting out a fog." He said.

"Maybe so." I said back. I decided to change the subject, before Chinook starts a ranting of his own.

"Who do you think killed those animals?" I asked. He bite his lip. Trying to think. "I don't know..Its not Shade, he's too runty to-" I frowned at him.

"Uhh..Too nice to be a murderer." He corrected himself. "Someone must be framing us." He added. "Probably, though I can't imagine why anyone would want to frame us for murder." I said.

"Neither can I. The only enemy we have is Brutus, but he won't kill animals just to get us in trouble." Said Chinook.

"He just makes sure we obey the law." I don't consider Brutus an enemy. I'd like to, but I don't. I guess its because he's not the real reason for us living without the sun.

The law is the real enemy, but to call a thing an enemy is like saying the moon abandons the bats when the sun comes out. The moon may leave during the day, but it always comes back at night. Even when its hidden behind all the darkness. The law might mean banishment from seeing the sun and being out during the day for all eternity, but it also means protection from owls.

Owls can't hurt us during the night, only during the day. To call the law an enemy would be like taking it for granted.

Chinook sighs. "I know but that doesn't mean they had to burn down Tree Haven." He said.

"Ok, yeah that was uncalled for but Brutus had the power to choose some other way to punish us. He could have chosen to simply have the hole colony on probation instead of burning our home down." I suggested.

"Yes but he didn't! He chose to use fire." Chinook spat downward. His saliva flew far below us, eventually hitting the ground somewhere. "Shade was right, those owls are insane." He said.

"Their not insane Chinook, the law is insane." I told him.

"Ha! Your right about that." He said.

"Chinook!" Called his mother. "Coming!" Chinook called back. "Talk to me again later, ok?" He asked me. "Sure." I said. With that, he flew down to his mother.

With Chinook gone, I thought about how my aunt reacted when I saved her. Why did it send her into tears? In fact, why did she hug me? My aunt hasn't hugged me since I was little. I thought about the time I saw fireflies for the first time.

* * *

_Flashback: _

_I was playing with a leaf, trying to catch it. Aunt Bathsheba was roosting near by, watching me. Frieda and the other elders were with her, so they could have a council meeting and keep an eye on me at the same time. I had finally healed enough to come back outside, which meant adventure and play time for me and a chance to have meetings with the elders again for my aunt. _

_Suddenly, I saw something glow. It was a bug, bigger then a mosquito but smaller then a moth. Glowing a dandelion yellow glow. There was several of them. All floating in the air as if they were clouds. I watched them slowly fly around like as if they were slow dancing, hypnotized by their glow. I never seen anything glow before, it was like looking at tiny versions of the sun. Is that what the sun looks like? A bunch of fireflies coming together to make one big circle? _

_Finally, I found my voice. "Baba!" I called out. In seconds, my aunt flew over. Looking slightly annoyed. _

_"What?" She asked. I caught one of the glowing bugs and showed it to her. "_

_Is this the sun, Baba?" I asked. Aunt Bathsheba looked at the bug in my hands and chuckled. _

_"No Maggie, thats a firefly." She told me. Firefly. The word itself sounded foreign to me. The glowing bugs didn't even look like insects, they looked more like stars that flew down from the sky to light up the ground. _

_"Their bugs?"_

_"Yes. Kind of like moths only smaller." _

_"Can we eat them?" She gave me a funny look when I asked that. _

_"We can but I don't think they'll taste very good." She said. I handed her the glowing bug. _

_"Hold this one." I said as I reached up and grabbed another one. "Eat them with me, Baba." I said. She giggled. "You want me to eat fireflies with you?" She sounded more amused then annoyed. "Yeah, can we?" I have no idea why I wanted to eat that firefly so badly, maybe it was because it glowed. From behind her, Aunt Bathsheba and I could hear giggling. _

_Frieda and the other elders were watching this hole thing. Seeing how much I wanted to eat the fireflies, my aunt finally sighed. "Ok, we'll eat them." She said. Fully aware of Mercury squealing inside his hands. We each took a bite of our fireflies. _

_Oh yuck! _

_The bug fell apart in my mouth and tasted like rotten leaves. Gross! _

_My aunt ducked her head in the bush near by. I think she spat the bug out, since she reappeared wiping her mouth on her wrist. She looked at me and smiled an amused smile. The type of smile you'd smile when your trying to hold back laughter. _

_"Spit it out Maggie, its not worth it." She said. With that, I ducked into the same bush and spat out the bugs remains. _

_The other elders were laughing at us by now. Mercury was on the ground, holding his stomach. Frieda was the only one who seemed to be trying to control her laughter. _

_"I can't believe you two ate fireflies!" Mercury cried, laughing hysterically. _

_"You better believe it, cause you just saw it." Aunt Bathsheba said back to him. Her mouth..Was glowing? _

_"Baba! Theres still a firefly in your mouth!" I gasped. My aunt gave me a skeptical look but opened her mouth and looked at her tongue. Her tongue was glowing. Just like a fireflies. My aunt looked disgusted and surprised. __"Oh..Thats crazy." She said._

_"Am I glowing too?" I asked, opening my mouth. Aunt Bathsheba giggled at me. _

_"Yes, your glowing too." The fact that we both had glowing tongues only made the elders laugh more. But my aunt and I didn't care, we just played with our fireflied tongues._

_End of flashback_

* * *

I wondered what happened to those days. How did my aunt and I grow apart? What happened? Its not like we were friends one day and enemies the next, it just kind of started happening over the years and now its..Just the way it is.

I hear sighs and heavy breathing all around me. The entire colony is exhausted. I fly over to my aunt, she's flying some easy wing beats away from me. She looks like Shade as she flies, her wings flapping so hard, they make a sharp _Whisk!_ As they move up and down.

"Auntie, are you ok?" I asked. Aunt Bathsheba huffs at me.

"Do I look ok to you? I'm flapping my wings off just flying like this!" She snaps at me.

"Well if everyones tired, why can't we stop?" I asked her. Again, she frowned.

"Frieda said it would be safer if we wait to roost at the towers." She breathed. "I don't know how you can go on like this Magnolia, but you better keep it up." She frowned. "I don't want you scaring me like that again." She growled.

Oh Auntie.

"Aunt Bathsheba, I won't scared you like that again. I promise you, I'll never do that again." I tell her for the third time. But she was right about the fact that I wasn't tired. Why wasn't I tired anyway? I'v been flying as long as the rest of the colony has and I'm not even huffing and puffing like they are. Thats just strange.

"Why aren't I tired anyway?"

"Probably because you have your father's blood. He could fly to Hibernaculum and back to Tree Haven in just four or five short days." I gave her a funny look.

"But Auntie, no silverwing can fly for that long."

She snorted at me. "Thats because your father wasn't a silverwing."

I almost lose my balance. My father wasn't a silverwing? How can that be? I remember he was treated as an equal by the colony, even my aunt treated him as if he were apart of the colony.

How could he have not been a silverwing? Before I could ask my aunt anymore questions, Frieda had the colony take a break from flying and eat some mosquitos.

Mosquitos are probably my favorite bugs to eat. They might be small, but their small enough for me to eat at least three or four. Which is more moths I could ever eat. Thanks to my injuries from the attack making my stomach smaller then usual, I can't eat too much food or else I'll get sick. Mosquitos are easier then moths.

I manage to catch four of them in seconds, but I fly with my aunt while she hunts them for herself.

When I was little, Aunt Bathsheba had to hunt for me. Since I didn't learn how to fly until I was around Shade's age, I couldn't feed myself. So Mercury and the other elders would have to watch me as Aunt Bathsheba went hunting for me. If she caught a moth, she was always careful to cut the moth in half so I could eat it.

Now I can't hunt my own food, and my aunt doesn't have to cut my moths for me anymore. I can take care of myself in terms of hunting.

Aunt Bathsheba caught her sixth mosquito. She didn't look any happier though. "You sure your ok, Auntie?" I asked. She frowned at me. "This hole migration is a fail..Tree Haven burning down, owls chasing after us, you and your foolishness, Frieda and her bad designs, and little food to eat." She leaped into the air with an exasperated whack.

"All because of that runty bat." She said coldly. I sighed and followed her.

"Auntie, has it ever occurred to you that Shade might be in just as much trouble as we are?" I asked hopefully. Aunt Bathsheba looked at me with a dark look.

"I don't care if he broke his wings and is now hiding under leaves! He could be eaten by owls for all I care." She said. She flies ahead of me, probably to roost somewhere. I follow her, only to find her flying towards Frieda.

Uh oh.

Frieda looks at her with a board look. "Hello Bathsheba, full already?" She asked calmly. "Let me tell you it wasn't easy with this low mosquito count." Said my aunt.

"Your choices are starving the colony. Honestly Frieda, what are you thinking?" Aunt Bathsheba demanded.

And there it is.

Frieda frowns and grits her teeth but doesn't say anything. "Do you hear the dawn chorus?" Asked Mercury as he flew over. "We have to go now, or decide to roost." Frieda glanced up at the sky. Then sighed and looked down.

"Alright..Prepare to leave." She said in a quiet voice. Mercury nodded and flew away. Frieda looked back at my aunt. Aunt Bathsheba just sighed and flew away, looking as annoyed as usual. "You ok Frieda?" I asked. "Yes, I'm fine Magnolia."

I roosted next to her. "My aunt's wrong, your designs aren't bad." I said. She smiled at me.

"I'm glad you think so, it seems everyone else is not so satisfied." She said. I bite my lip.

"You don't think Shade is to blame, do you?" She shook her head.

"No, of course not. But I do think he's alive. He has a strong spirit, he won't give up that easily." She told me. She then touched my shoulder. "Just like you. No matter what your aunt says, you never give up on her." She said.

"Why is she like that anyway?"

"I wish I knew. I don't know for sure, but I think your aunt's just..Scared."

"Scared?"

"Yes. Bathsheba has lost a lot of people in her life, Magnolia. Her mother died of pneumonia years ago, her father died shortly after. Your mother was only a teenager by then, so she moved into the elder's roost after that. After your father married your mother, he took Bathsheba under his wing. I think he did that because he believed your aunt wasn't that selfish deep down. He wanted to make her feel loved."

That must have meant something to my aunt, how could it not? "Did it work?" She shrugged. "To some extent. After it became clear that your father cared for your aunt as much as your mother did, Bathsheba seem to..Almost come out of her shell. She use to treat Raincloud exactly how she treats everyone else but as time went on, she became a little nicer to him." She pushed my bangs back.

"When your parents died, your aunt went into a form of depression. She suffered headaches all the time, she use to sleep more then usual, and she isolated herself from everyone around her. Even the council. All except for you. She use to sleep with you all the time in your healing chamber."

I remember that. Not so much of it, but I remember what my aunt had told me about being afraid, and I do remember my hands clinging to her main. Back then, my aunt seemed like a giant to me. I thought of her the same way I thought of Frieda and the other elders: Brave, strong, wise, smart and yes, old.

Even though I knew my aunt had a temper back then, it didn't bother me. I thought it was because she worked too hard or something like that. Now I'm not even so sure if it has anything to do with the council at all.

Frieda continued on. "When you saved your aunt from that bird, you scared her. Almost as bad as you scared your mother that day you got lost in the snow. She's scared she'll lose you, I'm sure of that." She looked me in the eyes.

"You remind her and everyone else in the council of your mother. She use to stand by Bathsheba just as much as you do. Flowerdawn loved Bathsheba very much, she won't leave her side for anything." She smiled at me. "You have the same loving and protective nature as your parents had. That, and the fact that your her only living relative, are the reasons why Bathsheba was so upset when you saved her like that. Even if she won't admit it." She said.

I put my hand on top of hers. "I do care about her, I couldn't live with myself if I let something happen to her." I said. Then sighed. "But her temper, her criticism, and her selfishness is getting worse." Frieda listened. "Its hard to deal with it, but I can try and be a protecter to her and be a peace keeper for you whenever she tries to criticizes you." I told her.

Frieda thought for a moment then breathed. "If thats what you want to do, I won't stop you from doing it, Maggie." She said.

* * *

As the colony started flying again, I thought about what Frieda had told me. My father cared for my aunt, my mother loved her, my grandparents had to have loved her too.

All those people are dead. They all cared and loved my aunt. Now their gone, and their love and protection went with them.

I'm the only one with that same love and protection, the only one who's connected to Bathsheba by blood. If I die, no one could take my place as her relative. A shiver ran down my spine. If I die, there will be no one to protect my aunt. No one to love her. She would be all alone in the world.

I know what the other youngsters my age say about her, I know how the adults think of her. They won't care. Not at all.

I only know of one person besides me ho cares for my aunt. Harold Silverwing.

Harold isn't an elder but he's as old as they are. He's the only male besides Mercury and my father I'v ever seen talk to my aunt. But its clear that he likes my aunt. Aunt Bathsheba told me that she and Harold had been friends since they were young. That friendship is just as strong today as it was back then.

My aunt talks to him whenever we come to Stone Hold and Hibernaculum. I like Harold for that. I feel a great amount of respect for him for doing that. Harold never married, and he basically chose Aunt Bathsheba over all the other females.

Because of this, Harold is kind of an outcast. None of the females like him because they think he's weird for befriending my aunt, and all the other males think he's crazy.

He gave up so much to be friends with Bathsheba, for that I feel respect for him. And I care for him, just as much as I cared for my aunt.

If I die, Harold can take my place and be there for my aunt all the time. He can love her, protect her, care for her. But he doesn't have my blood. My blood is my aunt's blood too. I'm the only one in the hole colony, and possibly in the hole world that has her blood.

I have to stay alive for her.


	5. More strange then good

The ear piercing screech of an owl knocked me out of my thoughts. We were heading towards the fire towers, the next landmark. "Frieda! Owl dead head! We can't land at the power station!" Reported Mercury. Frieda and Ariel were flying together. Aunt Bathsheba and I were flying underneath them. Although my aunt and I had been arguing a lot earlier, neither of us said anything during the flight to the fire towers. Frieda turned around and faced the colony. "Silverwings. Hard bank, South east. Now!" She declared as she flew away. A sudden burst of lightning blinded me, my vision became white. It scared me not being able to see. Being engulfed in a blank, endless cloud of white. But the blindness was only for a split second, as I my eyes adjusted and my vision came back. I quickly flew after my aunt, I don't want her flying out here on her own. As I fly next to her, I look over my shoulder, back at the towers. I can't be sure, but I thought I saw a bat being chased by a bigger bat. The clouds screamed with thunder, threatening to blind me again. I can only turn my head and hope what I saw was just my imagination. Just the dancing shadows of the lightning. Nothing to be afraid of. But deep down inside, I know theres something more. What could they have been? Bats playing wing tag? or was it just a parent trying to discipline their young? But then why was the owl there? And how could those bats be anywhere near the towers if there were owls there? Weird. Just, weird.

I decide to I focus my attention back on my aunt. She looks tired, annoyed and angry. I don't blame her though, she's been flying for hours. But why is she so tired and I'm not? I feel as though I could fly for another day. I thought about what my aunt had said about my father. About him not being a silverwing. If he wasn't a silverwing, then what colony was he from? And what does that make me?..Does that mean I'm not a silverwing? Or does it mean I'm just different? I snort at my own thoughts. Why am I worrying about this anyway? I was always different, I'm the only silverwing in the colony with black hair with blue streaks, and white fur, and that never bothered me before. Maybe my aunts just exaggerating, she does that sometimes. Besides, my aunt is elderly, and I'm only a teenager. My aunt is short, I'm tall. My aunt is overweight, I'm skinny. (Although thats a little unfair, since neither of us can help the way we are) Maybe I'm just not tired because I'm younger then my aunt is. But somehow, I doubt it. Even the closest youngsters to my age are tired. I sigh. I don't know, I just don't know. Why is it that the people I love have mysteries to them? My aunts temper, my mother's song and now my father's heritage. Questions, but no answers.

* * *

The clouds abandoned the sky. Recoloring it with purples and blues. Dawn isn't just here, its almost sunrise! Frieda led us to a tree with a tilted tip. Pointing right. To tree tips, to far away mountains, and to where Stone Hold is. I'm relieved when I later find myself roosting with Aunt Bathsheba, and with Frieda, Ariel and Chinook. The roost was small and narrow, the colony stubbled to find a decent place to roost. Youngsters were pressed against their mothers. Everyone looked like clouds smashed into each other. Every mutter and complain they spoke was their lightning. Only their lightning didn't blind anyone, just made others annoyed. I don't complain though, I don't have anything to complain about.

My aunt is the opposite. She has her arms tightly crossed across her chest. Covering her body with her wings. Her white hair hangs upside-down. Making her look a little silly. Her eyes looking sharp and tired. She's annoyed. Annoyed, and angry.

"Frieda, I speak for the entire colony when I say: These roosting conditions are unacceptable." She complained, pointing at the floor. (Which by now, looked like the ceiling) Chinook frowned at her. He never liked her. No one ever does. "You don't speak for me." He said. Frieda opened her mouth to say something but Chinook continued on. "In fact, you don't speak for anyone. Not even for Magnolia, she and I can speak for ourselves and no one else can." He said. Aunt Bathsheba frowned at him. "Don't you use that tone with me, young male!" She growled at him. Frieda spoke then.

"Chinook." Chinook looked at her. "It was clearly not safe to stop at the fire towers." She said.

"For the record, I did council you not to take us there." Said my aunt. Oh great. Everywhere we go, my aunt just has to say something like that.

Ariel gasps. "What? Your the one who _convinced_ her to take us there!" She corrected. My aunt looked at her, still frowning. "Ariel, your blaming _me_ for this game error migration? Your son Shade, is responsible for our entire situation!" She said. More muttering rang out, making the roost seem more uncomfortable.

Finally, Frieda spoke again. "Please, everyone. With the owls against us we can not afford to fight amongst ourselves." Aunt Bathsheba sighs, Ariel frown's at her. But neither of them stop listening to Frieda. "Try and get some rest. Tomorrow, we join the males at Stone Hold." Frieda finished. Stone Hold. Thats where Harold is. Harold was always like an uncle to me. When ever we migrate together, he would take Aunt Bathsheba out hunting with him. They would even include me when they go. But what was like magic to me was, my aunt could be angry, or annoyed but when she's with Harold and I as we hunt, she would look happier.

Chinook yawned and fell asleep. He was either really tired, or he just didn't want to deal with my aunt anymore. Ariel turned her back to us, disgusted by my aunt's words. Frieda sighed but fell asleep. Gently, I wrapped my arms around my aunt. Keeping her warm in my wings. She sighed. "Why do you do that?" She asked. Her raspy voice lowered to a whisper. "To keep you warm." I answered her. I know what she's thinking, but I ignore whatever thoughts it could be. She squinted at me.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you getting cold." She looked down at my arms. Thinking, I guess.

"Auntie?" She looked back up at me. Listening.

"I care about you Auntie, I really do. I don't want to lose you." Something changes in my aunts eyes. A spark, I think. She looks softer now, almost surprised…And a little concern. She and I stare into each others eyes. I can feel her gaze searching mine. I can only search hers in return. Blindingly searching for anything that would show her feelings, but how can one search in anthers eyes? And what can an eye possibly hold back? Tears? Emotion? To my surprise, she unwrapped her wings, turned her body around and nuzzled her cheek on my main. She was basically hugging me. "..I know.." For a minute, I wasn't sure if I heard her right. "..I know you care…I'm touched that you care.." She looked back up at me. Her eyes were painful to look at. "But Please..Don't let to get to your head, Magnolia..You have your own life to worry about, don't spend it worrying about mine.." I know its crazy, but I understand why she doesn't want me to protect her so much. My mother held her hand through the hard times, and my father took her under his wing. Their both dead now, gone forever. It suddenly dawns on me that my aunt pushed the colony away with her cruelty. If she wasn't like that, maybe she would be like Frieda. Only she isn't. For some reason, she isolates herself with her cruel, selfish and nasty words. Almost shielding herself. From what? The colony?

She sniffled, and I realized that she was beginning to whimper again. "..Your not the first one to care about me, Magnolia..Your parents and Harold care too..Even Frieda once did..But I lost everyone who I ever held close, I don't want that to happen to you too.." She looked down. "..Please..Just don't.." She rested her head on my main. I heard the soft whimpers escaping her throat and felt her tears stain my fur. I'm worried about her now, I never seen my aunt cry before and seeing her in tears is so unnatural, its scaring me. I hug her, rubbing her shoulders and back. "Its ok Aunt Bathsheba..Please don't cry." I kissed her cheek. "I'll be fine, nothings going to happen to me. Everything will be ok." I whisper to her. At this point, I don't know what hurt more. Arguing with my aunt and seeing her act so mean without reason, or seeing her cry and not knowing how to comfort her. Both situations make me feel the same way though. Helpless. As if theres nothing I can do. That no matter how hard I try, I couldn't make my aunt, or anyone else happy.

When my aunt finally falls asleep, I begin to wonder why Harold and I are the only ones who care about her. Surley more bats in the colony would feel concern for her, she's an elder after all. On top of that, she's also one of them. No matter how mean she is, she's still a silverwing. And we all have to treat her as an equal. Even if she doesn't return the gesture, it still didn't seem right calling her a witch and hating her. Hate is a strong word, meant for something like war or fighting. It doesn't feel like a word used on someone like my aunt. Why waste hate on a selfish soul when theres so many other things to hate? And whats the point anyway? Aunt Bathsheba's selfish and cruel, but no one's perfect. I'm not perfect, Shade's not perfect, so why should my aunt be disliked for not being perfect? Just because Bathsheba's not the best person in the world, doesn't mean she's the worst. I sigh softly. I guess what I really want to know is, who is my aunt exactly? As I close my eyes, I wonder one last time, if I'll ever get to know just who Bathsheba Silverwing truly is.

* * *

As we flew over to Stone Hold the next night, I didn't speak much with my aunt. She and I looked at each other but said nothing to each other. I can tell my aunt wasn't herself, so I tried to fly closely to her. It seemed foggier tonight, as if the clouds had greyed up the trees and the sky. For the first time, I wonder what it would be like if the birds and the beasts came out during the night, and us bats came out during the day? Would things be different then they already are? What would the world look like with a brighter sky and a moon that gave light, instead of glowing stars. What about the land itself? Would it be any different? I heard stories that the sky turns in different colors: Oranges, reds, yellows, pinks, purples, blues. What color comes first? I know what a sunrise is, but I never seen one before. Such colors didn't belong in a world of night. But Shade saw it. He saw the sun. I never thought much of the law, or of the sun. Was the sun like the moon? Big, round and glowed? But the moon never brought colors with it when it rose, it only brought stars that hung from the sky like white fireflies. Only they never moved, always stayed in the same place. My aunt never liked stars. She especially hated the old saying _"When a bat has fallen, Nocturna takes them in her wings and they become another star in our skies. Never forgotten, and always watching over the people they left behind." _Theres a lot of things Aunt Bathsheba hated or just didn't believe, but I think she disliked that saying for a reason. And not just any reason, a personal one. People say that when a loved one dies, they go up to the sky and stay there and watch over the people they loved until they join them in that sky. Thats how that saying was created. Basically, that saying was meant to comfort bats who lost a mate, females who lost newborns, newborns who lost a parent, bats who lost siblings, colony's who lost elders, and so on. Meaning: They'll always be with you.

I remember Frieda and the elders said those words at my parents funeral. Although she's an elder, my aunt didn't join them. I thought it was because she was holding me in her arms. but now I don't think much of that. I do remember one thing though. My arms wrapped around my aunts neck, hanging on to her. Her white hair resting on my head, mixing into my own black hair, her arms wrapped around me. Though I can't be sure why, I heard my aunt mutter something. _"Wishful thinking, false hope and empty promises..Thats all it is." _I didn't say anything at the time. I didn't know what those words meant, or whys they were spoken. I just figured my aunt was just upset, as she had been for days.

Stars. I looked up at them, shining over my head like tiny moons. Are my parents up there? My grandparents too? Can they see Aunt Bathsheba and I? Do they miss us? I suddenly think of a possible reason for my aunt hating the saying: Although my parents are up in the sky, their just stars now. It doesn't change the fact that they can never hug me or the fact that Aunt Bathsheba and I can never see them again. "Where did the moon go? Does anybody know?" My mother is a star, and only her star knows who the moon is, and what the meaning behind it means. Somehow, I'v come to the conclusion that the moon and the lostwing she spoke of, are one in the same. That the moon and the lostwing are the same person. I think of Shade suddenly, and of his father, Cassiel. I saw his father once, when I was little. Before my parents died. He was a tall male, with deep grayish blue fur and golden yellow beard. He had Shade's eyes. I don't remember anything of him, just his name and looks, and the band he had on his wrist. He..He disappeared one night and no ones seen him since. I have no idea what happened to Cassiel, but Shade reminds me of him. He looks like him. Now Shade reminds me of Cassiel even more then he did before. Shade and Cassiel both disappeared, no one knows where they are and theres a chance they may be dead. Their both lostwings. "Mom..Dad, are you there?" I quietly asked the stars over my head. When nothing happened I quietly spoke again. "I'll figure it out, Mom. I'll find the meaning to your song." My heart pounded as I said the next thing. "I'll protect Aunt Bathsheba, I promise." The stars only glowed in response.

What am I doing? I'm talking to stars, for crying out loud! If my aunt was listening to me, she would probably think I'v lost it.

As if on que, my aunt spoke. "This is taking too long. We must be off course!" She declared.

Frieda ignored her. "Stone hold just ahead!" She declared in return. Ariel looked happy.

"The rest of the males will be with us soon." She said.

"And just in time." Added Frieda. My aunt growled and frowned, but didn't say anything. Chinook, who was flying beside her, looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back. Aunt Bathsheba is annoyed, but at least she's ok. Chinook looked ahead, still smiling. "He's going to see his Dad for the first time." I realized. All the youngsters are going to meet their dads for the first time. All except for Shade and I. Shade and Cassiel are gone, and my father is dead. I sigh sadly. Hoping that Shade is ok, wherever he may be.

The foggy trees soon start to disappear, and the land became more rocky. "Stone hold!" Chinook gasped. He had flown closer to Frieda and Ariel. Eager to see his father. I never liked the look of Stone Hold, its beautiful but flying over the cliffs that surround the river and looking down at it has always made me nervous. I just get this fear that I'll lose my balance and fall into the trench. Only to drown into the water. Feeling nauseous, I force myself to look straight, not down. "It is, isn't it Frieda?" Said Chinook. Frieda smiled in response. "Wooh Whoo! Whoo! Alright!" Chinook beamed as he flew faster. I landed on a rock, under a branch my aunt landed on. I looked up over my head. Watching as Frieda and Mercury landed. Mercury on a branch a little under my aunts, Frieda on a higher one. "The young ones will finally meet their fathers." She said, bending down. She and Mercury were smiling. It was always nice to see fathers with their children and mates. My aunt wasn't smiling. She was eyeing the entrance. The only thing she liked about this was seeing Harold again. How can I blame her? Its the only thing I look forward to on the migration to Stone Hold. Since I don't have a father to meet, or a mother to fly with. I hear wing beats and look ahead. but its only Chinook who flies out of the cave.

"Their gone." Chinook breathed when he landed on a rock farther then mine. "The males..Their all.." He looked back at the entrance. "..Gone." He looked down, disappointed. I could only blink. The males are gone? Gone where? Out hunting?

My aunt sighs. I look back at her, she's frowning at Frieda who looks concern and confused. Aunt Bathsheba's probably just mad because Harold's not here, but why should she focus it on Frieda? Its not her fault the males aren't here. "Mercury, look around. Try to find out what has happened." Said Frieda. Mercury leaped into the air and starting flying. "I'll go too." Said Ariel, who was roosting near by.

"What if its an accident, maybe they just went hunting." I suggested.

"I'm afraid thats not the case, Magnolia. If they had went hunting, they would have sent someone to tell us." Said Frieda. She looked back at the colony. "Silverwings, we must fly inside and rest up." She declared. The colony flew inside Stone Hold, Frieda, Aunt Bathsheba and I following.

Once inside, I realized my aunt hadn't said a single thing. She had frowned and sighed, but she didn't say anything. I looked at her. "Auntie?" I asked. My aunt was bend over, looking at something in her hands. She frowned. "Somethings happened." She looked at me, showing me what it was in her hands. "Look." White and purple flower petals were in her hands. Harold loved flowers-I know that sounds weird, but Harold was a more sensitive and sentimental male then the other males in the colony, he was a dreamer. He loved to pick flowers, smell them and feel their petals. He loved their colors too, and would pick flower petals and arange them into different types of rainbows and color combinations. I guess thats one of the reasons why my aunt likes him so much.

But my aunt was right about the flower petals, theres no way Harold would leave them without cleaning up the mess first. He was tidy like that. I can easily picture him playing with those flower petals, studying their colors and patterns. Then suddenly, having to leave and forget about them. Thats not what Harold would do, he would never discard flower petals like this. "Harold could be in trouble." My aunts face changes then. She becomes more angry then concern. "All because of that Law-" I won't let her finish.

"Aunt Bathsheba, please don't blame Shade for this. Or Frieda, they had no control over whatever happen here and you know it." I take her hands in mine, forcing her to look at me. "Wherever Harold is, he's fine. He has Hector and the other males with him. You don't have to worry about him." I told her. Even though I know it won't stop her from worrying. Frieda said Bathsheba and Harold had been friends ever since they were young pups. I kinda already knew that, since the two of them are so close. I expect my aunt to yank her hands out of mine, say something mean to me. But all she does, is look back at me…And frown slightly. "..I just hope..Your right."


	6. Things get harder for Maggie

"Any sign of the males?"

"Not a trace."

It has been hours since we came to Stone Hold, Ariel and Mercury have searched everywhere for the males. "The owls were here." Said Mercury, holding a feather. I sigh and wrap my wings around my knees, hiding my legs. Is Harold really ok? Is he safe? Has the owls..Killed him? It suddenly dawns on me that if Harold dies, I'll truly be the only one who cares about Bathsheba. Harold is the only one who's not related to us and still cares about the two of us. If something happens to him, no one else will care. Thats not the only reason why I feel concern. I love Harold, he's almost like the uncle I'v never had. Harold wasn't handsome, or the strongest male in the colony, but he did have a big heart, a good sense of humor and a loving, sentimental nature. Now he could be gone. And if he is gone, what do I do?

The sound of angry wing beats startle me, I look at the center of the chamber and gasp. My aunt has flown down, her yellow eyes shinned with anger. "On top of everything we'v endured, now the males are missing!" She declared. Looking viciously at Frieda, who looked more confused then worried. "How many more bad decisions will Frieda make?" She looked at the colony, letting them mutter to each other. Frieda looked around, looking worried. She looked at Aunt Bathsheba, her gaze meeting hers. My aunt just chuckled and smiled a small, but devious smile. Oh no, not again! I flew over to them, landing between my aunt and Frieda. "Auntie what are you doing?" I ask, even though I'm scared of what her answer is.

"Doing what should have been done long ago." She said in a voice I barely recognized. "Stay out of it, Magnolia." She growled warningly at me. I don't know that look in her eyes, but it fills me with worry. She looks back at the colony, who were all looking down at us. Watching, listening intently. "Its my duty to ensure, that the leadership acts in the best interest of all silverwings." She declared. I cringe, realizing what it is she's trying to do. "Frieda is a good leader!" Ariel protested. "We trust her!"

My aunt just turned and looked at her.

"I'm sure you do, Ariel. She saved the life of your law breaker son!"

"Thats not fair Auntie, Frieda did the right thing!" I have to stop her.

"I don't care if it was the right thing, it still lead to Tree Haven's destruction!"

"You think she and Shade meant for that to happen? They didn't know that was going to happen!"

My aunt suddenly grabs my wrist. Looking at me right in the eyes. I could only look back into hers, hoping I could change her mind. But I couldn't. She pulls me closer to her level. "Listen closely Magnolia Snow Silverwing." I listened. I didn't want to, but I listened. "I..Don't..Care..I don't care if they meant for it to happen or if it was a complete and total accident..I **don't **care!" She hissed in my ears. She lets go of me and walked back to where she was standing. I could only stare at her, shocked.

Before I could say anything, my aunt spoke again. "Maybe its time, for a leadership vote." She said, looking at the colony. More muttering and bat sounds came. Frieda looked around, sighing. My aunts trying to take her place! How could she do that? Chinook flies down to us, he looked at me with concern but didn't say anything. He probably didn't know what to say. My aunt stood there, eyes locked on the colony. "All of those in favor of appointing me as the new leader?" I'm shocked when I see the entire colony vote for her. "All in favor of Frieda." She pointed at Frieda.

Mercury, Ariel and Chinook voted for Frieda, as I knew they would. "Magnolia?" I looked at my aunt, not sure what to say. "Whats your vote?" She asked. A hollow feeling forms in my stomach. I feel even worse then I'v ever felt when my aunt did things like this. My aunt looks different too. Her eyes sparkled greedily, she seemed taller for some reason. I don't even recognize this bat standing before me. I look at Frieda, who's looking at me with a concern, soft look. Ariel and Mercury have the same look. Chinook looks more angry. Not at me, at my aunt. I then look at the colony, their eyes watching my every move. I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt my aunt by voting for Frieda, but I also don't want to hurt Frieda by voting for my aunt. I feel dizzy and the air feels stuffy, as if my lungs have too much air in them. "No..Don't faint, don't faint!" I mentally yell at myself. If I'v been breathing too heavily, I don't want to pass out. Not in front of the colony, or in front of my aunt. Theres enough trouble as it is. Finally, I sigh. Slowly.

"Whats the point Aunt Bathsheba?..Even if I do vote, you'll still become leader. My vote doesn't matter." I said, a little too quickly. My aunt frowns but before she could say anything, I fly out of the roost as fast as I could. When I'm outside, I land on a rock and quickly drink from the river. "Don't pass out! Don't pass out! Just breath and drink the water!" I tell myself. I didn't realize I was breathing so heavily. Its dangerous for me to breath me like that, my lungs are too fragile. If I breathe too deeply, I'll get light headed. I only breath in deeply when I don't mean to, and thats always when I get anxious.

I look in the river and stare at my reflection. Did my aunt just give me an anxiety attack?..Or was it just me? Its not the anxiety I felt thats upsetting me. Its what my aunt just did. How could she do that to Frieda? I knew my aunt disliked whatever decision Frieda made, but thats no excuse to take her place. Whats gotten in to her? I begin to wonder what Shade would have done if he was in my shoes-No wait, he'd probably just make things worse by fighting her. But he would have been better at confronting her then I was. I could feel my heart pounding, and waited for it to stop. When it finally slowed to its normal beat, I drank more water and forced myself to calm down. Feeling better, I continued to stare at my reflection. Staring at the watery twin looking back at me.

"What do I do?" I ask my river twin, only seeing my own uncertain, confusion and sadness in response. I wish I could get an answer, A real one. I honestly don't know what to do anymore. Bathsheba just took Frieda's place as head elder, she has total control of the colony and she blamed everything on Shade and Frieda. Even when it was clearly not exactly their faults Tree Haven was destroyed. Maybe I can convince her to change her mind, get her to realize what she was doing. If I can just get her to see what she's really doing, maybe things will get better…Maybe..Just maybe.

I suddenly hear wing beats and see the colony flying out of Stone Hold. "Magnolia!" Came my aunts voice. I sighed and flew over to her. She was leading the colony, something that seemed almost unreal since my aunt was never one to be in front of the crowds, just close enough to be near the elders. "Let me guess, you won." I said with annoyance. She frowned. "Change the attitude Magnolia." She flew closer to me. "Since I'm the leader now, you will fly with me as I lead the colony to Hibernaculum." She scowled at me. "And I don't want to hear a peep from you. Do you hear me?" Although I want to yell in her face and find Ariel and Frieda, I don't dare do so. If I speak those words, I'll be no different then she is. I swallow my anger and answer her. "Yes Aunt Bathsheba." I muttered.

* * *

My aunt and I didn't speak after that. We just flew side by side in silence. It feels weird having no one to follow but having everyone behind me instead. Frieda should be up here, not us. I'm not use to this, and I highly doubt this is how elders become head elders. My aunt had the rights as an elder to call for that vote, I know that but it still seems wrong. I wish I could voice those words, but who would listen to me? Chinook, Ariel, Mercury, Breeze and Todd are somewhere behind me, and my aunt won't let me out if her sight. Even if she would let me go, I don't think anyone would listen to me. I'm the niece of the witch, the female who just took Frieda's place.

Who would want to listen to someone like me?

We flew without amy problems. No owls, no pidgins, nothing. We decided to roost on the trees with the long vines that hooked to each other. Frieda called them the "Wire trees" since the vines were very thick and black. I landed on one of the wine trees. Looking around at the colony. Frieda, Ariel, Mercury and Chinook roosted together, not too far away from me. They looked at me with worry on their faces. Before I could say anything, my aunt lands on the same wine tree, eyeing the colony.

"Well, here we are." She said. "Safely over the pass, without incident I might add. As you can see, my leadership is paying off." She said, looking very proud of herself. It almost made me want to just fly away. "The colony has spoken. We must follow Bathsheba." Ariel whispered to Frieda, who nodded in response. Mercury and Chinook didn't agree. And I don't blame them. "Magnolia." I look at my aunt, unsure. "You didn't vote." She frowned at me. "I didn't have to, everyone voted for you! It wouldn't have made any difference if I hadn't." I half snapped, half said in response. My aunt just growls. "That doesn't change anything, you didn't have to fly out of Stone Hold!" Oh no. Not again.

"Auntie-"

"No, you listen to me! Its the rule to vote when theres a voting! You should know that by now!"

"I know but Auntie-"

"Its also necessary to ask to go outside before you actually go! What in the world were you doing out there? Playing in the river?"

_**"NO!"**_

The words left my throat before I could stop it. My aunt jumped when I yelled at her like that. She then looked at me with shock. I had never yelled at anyone before. Let alone, Aunt Bathsheba. She frowned at me again. "Magnolia..Snow..Silverwing..What did you just say to me?" She said in a low but very angry voice. Thats it, theres no turning back.

"You have ears Auntie, you know _EXACTLY_ what I just said!"

"Don't you _DARE _use that tone with me!"

"Your not my mother!"

My aunt looks slightly taken aback that I had said that. But she keeps frowning at me.

"No but I _AM_ your aunt and you will do as I say!"

"I'm not your servant your highness!"

"Magnolia!-"

"In fact,_ NO ONE_ is your servant! What is with you and this leader thing!? What is wrong with you?!"

"I'm perfectly fine! Its YOU that needs to stop!"

"I didn't steel _FRIEDA'S_ place Auntie!"

"Why you-"

Chinook suddenly flew in between us, he shoved my aunt away from me and held on to her shoulders. Looking at her in the eyes. "Shut up, will you!? Magnolia is right, what _IS_ wrong with you?!" He suddenly looked more angry.

"You old hag! Are you too stupid to realize why she flew out of Stone Hold?! Its because _YOU_ gave her an anxiety attack! She could have fainted!" My aunts face changed all of the sudden, she looked more surprised then angry.

"Now hang on Chinook, I didn't-" Chinook won't let her talk.

"You and your leadership vote almost caused her harm! Do you even care?!" He suddenly yanked at her white hair. "I guess not!" Before I could stop him, Chinook punched her. Hit my aunt so hard, it sounded like a slap.

Ariel gasped. Shocked. Frieda tried to stop him. "Chinook, no!"

Mercury frowned. "Stop it Chinook!"

Something inside of me snapped. I suddenly felt myself run over to them and pull Chinook away from my aunt. "Chinook leave her alone!" I yelled. Helping my aunt up. Chinook frowned at me. "You need to rethink yourself, Magnolia! your a total freak!" He yelled at me. He then pointed at Aunt Bathsheba, who was nursing a part of her face. Scowling at him. "All because you live with this ugly, stupid, ill-tempered, OLD HAG!"

"Chinook!" Came a familiar voice. Chinook spun around, only to see his mother standing there. Her arms crossed. "Chinook Timothy Silverwing." She hissed. Chinook's rage melted. He suddenly looked guilty. "Roost!" His mother demanded. With his head down, Chinook flew away. His mother, Isis, glanced at Aunt Bathsheba and I, but didn't say anything. She then flew after her son.

With a sigh, I look at Aunt Bathsheba. She's frowning at me, her cheek is purple and blue from Chinook hitting her. I know Chinook was mad at her, but thats no excuse to hit her. Her angry gaze makes me bite my lip. "He's right about one thing…You need to rethink yourself." She said coldly. Her eyes stabbing mine. She pulls away from me continuing to frown at me. I need to fly. I don't care where I go, as long as I'm away from her. I jump into the air and fly. Ariel called after me but I ignored her. I need time to myself.

* * *

I find a place near a small cliff and sit down. I had never felt so alone in my life. Shade is gone, Chinook has turned against me, my aunt doesn't care, Frieda's no longer the leader, the owls are after the entire colony.

I feel trapped. As if the pit I'v grown so use to has gotten bigger. It was ok before, but I had someone to talk to about it then. Now my friends might not even want me around anymore.

I wrap my arms around my knees. Looking up at the moon. Round and glowing white as always. I sighed again, thinking of my mothers song.

"Oh moon, where are you? And why did you have to go? I feel so lonely without you, And time is going too slow." I sing, adding new lyrics to the song.

"Why couldn't you stay? And why did you have to leave me alone? With each passing day, I miss you more, Its nothing I'v ever known." Tears started running down my face.

"Where did the moon go? Does anybody know? The sky turns dawn, while she is gone, But is not right." My voice breaks as I sing the last bit.

"I wish I can fly in the night, so I can find her." I let my head fall into my arms and I cry. I'm not crying because of my aunt taking Frieda's place, or the fight we just had. Not even because of Chinook. I'm crying because I'v never felt so alone, in a world of endless night.


	7. Tensions are high

I stayed there for hours. Just sitting there, wanting to forget everything that had just happened. I felt as though a deep, empty pit has formed in my gut, threatening to drown me into darkness. A cold, lonely darkness. One that scares me as much as it promises to comfort me. If I could put my fights with Bathsheba on a scale, the one we just had would be one top. I'v never yelled at my aunt or at anyone before, and it felt almost surreal that it actually happened. Whats also hard to sallow is Chinook. He punched my aunt in the face, and called me a freak. I never seen him hit another bate before, not even Shade. And he and Todd and Breeze had never called me a freak before either. Does this mean Chinook and I are no longer friends? That I'm going to be an outcast for the rest of my life? I'm so deep in my painful thought, that it takes me a few moments to realize someone is calling me.

"Magnolia! Where are you? Maggie!" I ignored it, not wanting to have to face my aunt. Not if she's the one calling me, that is. But its not Aunt Bathsheba, its Ariel. She flies over to me and lands next to me. When I look at her, she looks back at me with sympathy. "Oh Maggie." She wraps me in her arms, hugging me. I let my head rest on her shoulder. I need a hug, someone to hold me and pull me out if this empty feeling. "Oh Maggie, I'm so sorry you and your aunt had that fight. I never seen you two like that before." She said worriedly.

It was all I could do not to cry out. "I..I don't understand." I sniffled. Feeling tears run down my face. "What is wrong with her?" I whimpered. Ariel rubbed my shoulder. "I wish I knew, Maggie." She ran her hand through my hair. "Mercury thinks your aunt is just jealous of Frieda, but thats no excuse to take her place." I cringe when I hear that. "How can Mercury think that?" I know it seems bad that I'm practically standing up for Bathsheba, despite the fight we just had, but I can't help it. Mercury doesn't know her like I do, he never seen her whimper, never hugged her or felt her comfort. He doesn't know the Bathsheba I know!..Which I admit, is one I'm still struggling to understand.

As much as I hate the idea, it does make sense. My aunt had been criticizing Frieda ever since Tree haven was destroyed. She was always kinda mean to her, but I never thought she would be jealous of her. I remember back at Tree Haven, that look she gave me when I asked her if she cared for Frieda and the other elders. It was a strange look, one I had never seen before. Looking back, it looked more like a worried look then of a confused one. "You just keep telling yourself that." That answer alone wasn't a very good answer to my question. My aunt does care, right?..I just don't know anymore.

To my relief, Ariel understands. "I know, Magnolia. I don't think its entirely jealousy thats driving her." She bites her lip, trying to think of something. "I think theres more your aunt is hiding. Jealousy can't be the only resin for her behavior." She finally said. I dried off my tears. "I'v..I'v been trying to figure it out since I was little." I sniffled. "I..I think she'd good deep down inside, but she's too..Stubborn to show it."

Ariel was silent for a moment before saying anything. "She said something to me..Back when we were heading t the Cathedral. She said a mothers faith is touching but foolish."

"How is that strange?"

"The way she said foolish. It was like she was half talking to me, but also muttering to herself…" Ariel rubbed her head. Confused.

The thought sticks to me like a curse. Why would my aunt say a mothers faith is foolish? Was it just to get Ariel to stop thinking about Shade? Maybe so, but something about it makes a big, hard lump form in my throat. It seems there is two sides of Bathsheba: Her cruel, selfish, calculating and unpredictable side. The side that gives me anxiety and makes life difficult. And then theres the other side. Her Mysterious, secretive and fearful side. Thats the side that makes me wonder if I really know her. Its almost like living with a total stranger.

As if reading my thoughts, Ariel changes the subject. "Isis talked to Chinook, he's grounded for punching your aunt like that, she'll make sure he doesn't do that again." She said. I'm still shocked Chinook had punched her. I never thought he would do that to her, or to anyone for that matter. I also can't believe he called me a freak. No one had ever called me that before. Especially not my friends. Do I even still have any friends? Do Breeze and Todd hate me now too? "I hope he doesn't." I said. Thinking about my aunt.

I'm not sure if I should roost with her for the day, not since we had that terrible fight. She needs to cool off and I need to heal before we can roost together.

"Why don't we go back to the colony? You can roost with Frieda, Mercury and I." Said Ariel. Tears fill my eyes again. Thats exactly what I need right now. Comfort from someone, and someone I can roost with. "Ok." I said, my voice was shaky again, as if it was falling in my throat.

In minutes, we were flying back to the colony. Chinook was roosting with his mother. He didn't even look at me. Breeze was with her own mother, but she glanced at me and gave me a concern look. Todd, who was also roosting with his mother, just mouthed: "Are you ok?" I was surprised he had asked, but I mouthed back: "I will be."

Frieda and Mercury were roosting exactly where I last saw them. Mercury smiled when he saw me, and Frieda motioned for me to roost next to her. I do as she tells me to do and roost next to her. Ariel roosts too. I'm surprised Frieda would let me roost with her, especially after what my aunt just did to her. "I'm sorry for what my aunt did, Frieda. I don't know why she did that or how she could do it, but I wish she didn't." Frieda shakes her head and wraps her wing around me.

"It wasn't your fault, Magnolia. You had no control over what Bathsheba was doing." She hugged me with one arm. "You have nothing to be sorry for." I sighed, tears running down my face. Frieda's gentle voice and understanding words makes me feel better. I know I can let my tears run now. I hate crying and admitting that I'm hurting inside, but its nice to let the tears burn my cheeks and let the pain go every once in a while. Its even better to do it when I have someone to hug me and comfort me.

From far out into the darkness, I could feel eyes looking at me. I looked to see who it was, knowing Ariel, Frieda and Mercury we noticing. Although she was far away, I could see Aunt Bathsheba roosting in the trees. Alone. Her yellow eyes were locked on me. I can see only a few emotions in her eyes. Anger, annoyance and…And something I can't place.

She blinks when she realizes that I'm looking back at her. For a moment, we stare at each other. Her gaze becomes hard, while mine is just confused.

Finally, my aunt looked away. Breaking her gaze. I don't know if I was secretly hoping she'd fly over, or if she'd say something, but whatever the reason, I sighed and broke my gaze too. Frieda senses my feelings and takes the bangs out of my face, looking into my eyes better. "Don't let her bother you, Maggie." She said. I silently nod and lay my head down on her shoulder. She lets me whimper and holds me close.

Eventually, I fell asleep.

* * *

When I woke up, the sky was very cloudy and the wind felt cold. Although I flew with Frieda, Mercury and Ariel, the night was blurred with the other Silverwings whispering about me. "Look, there she is..Why isn't she proud of her aunt?..He aunts the new leader, why isn't she flying with her?" I sighed quietly to myself. It seems the colony think its a good thing my aunt has taken charge. Why do they? Do they think she'll make better_ "decisions"_ then Frieda? Don't they realizes how much she's hurt her?

I suddenly realize where Bathsheba has taken us. She had brought us to the human field where their machines usually hang out in. "This field has always been off limits." Said Mercury when we roosted. "The human flying machines are too dangerous."

"You are my scout!" My aunt frowned. "How dare you question me!"

"_You_ were the one that said we should _stay_ on the migration root!" Ariel looked just as annoyed as Mercury.

"I'll deal with your insolence later." Why does my aunt have to sound so cold as she says that? She then looks at the rest of the colony. "In the mean time, you will _ALL_ follow me!" She then started flying, the colony following after her. Again, I fly with Ariel, Mercury and Frieda. Although Chinook flew with us, he and I didn't say anything.

The humans are strange creatures. Their giants, with only hair on the top of their heads. They come in different shapes, sizes and colors too. Do they live in colonies too? Of course I'm curious about them, how can I not? What do they make their machines out of? Where do their machines go and where do they come back from? What do the humans believe in? My questions are mostly about their way of life, but I'm also curious about the bands. I'v heard stories about other colonies banishing anyone who were banded, but I'v never heard of it happening in the Silverwing colony. I guess its because Frieda has a band, and she's been around for several years. If nothings happened to her or to the colony, why would something happen to anyone else? I don't believe the bands are bad luck, but I do believe theirs a reason behind them. One that only the humans know.

I don't really like the bands though. It seems their only reason is to make bats leave their colonies. Some are banished, others just leave to find out the truth. Is that what happened to Cassie?. Did he leave Ariel because of his band? I highly doubt he would willingly leave his mate and unborn son just so he could find the truth behind a piece of metal wrapped around his arm, but its possible, right?

Thats not why I dislike the bands and their mystery. Those who were banded were all husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, elders..And the number of how many have been banded is endless. I think banishing those who are banded destroys families, friendships, colonies and lives. I can't even imagine what it must be like, being forced to give up your own child, witnessing your parents being chased out of the colony, elders being kicked out into the lonely world. And then theres those who disappear. Leaving their friends, their family and their colony behind forever. All because of a stupid piece of metal on their arms.

Thats why I dislike the bands. The mystery behind them is so scary, it scares bats into banishing their own kind and makes others obsess over them.

But theres more about the humans I don't understand. The flying machines they make look like giant birds with frozen wings, their cites aren't made out of wood or trees, and the noises the machines make aren't natural noises. Not noises you'd hear in the forest or from birds or even from animals. Is that what humans sound like when they talk? If their language is a simple _Honk! Beep Beep! Bong!_ and all the other sounds I hear in the city, then they have a confusing language.

"Look out!" Mercury suddenly cried out. Startled, I looked up. Only to see a human flying machines belly. Holy crap! I quickly flew away, my wings pumping hard with every beat. Wheres Frieda? Ariel? Mercury? Chinook? Breeze? Todd?…Wheres my aunt?! I wanted to look for her and the others, but my hole body is shaking so badly I need to roost somewhere. I follow the colony to a long tower with light coming out of it. Theres a cross like shape on the top, and we all fly up to it.

When I land, my body shakes and shivers with shock. That giant metal bird was over our heads….It could have landed on us! The rest of the colony seems to be in just as much shock as I am. I'm relieved when I see Frieda, and Breeze, Todd, Chinook, Ariel, Mercury..Even Aunt Bathsheba. "Don't be scared…That thing is gone now…No one got hurt..Everything is ok.." I try to tell myself, but how can I when I'm shaking and shivering?

I can see Frieda looking down at the traumatized colony. She sighs and frowns at my aunt. Looking annoyed. For a second, my aunt looks concern. As if to say "I didn't mean it." I hoped she'd say it out loud. Tell Frieda she made a mistake and apologize.

But all that came from her was a frown and a growl.

I sighed, burying my face in my hands. When will things get better? I feel so hopeless now.

* * *

We fly towards a human building that looks like a cave made of metal. My aunt roosts in the entrance, as the colony flies in.

"I told you I would lead you all to safety." Her voice sounded a little more cheerful then usual..Which was a little creepy..Since its rare to hear her sound like that.

"We will roost here for the night and then, I will lead you all to Hibernaculum." She then flew in.

Frieda, Ariel, Mercury and I flew in after her. None of cared where we were now, we just wanted to sleep for a while. "Maybe things will be better when we wake up." I said as I flew next to Mercury. He sighed. "I hope so, Maggie. Tonight was a hard night." He said.

My aunts voice startles me. "Magnolia." She flies over to me. "You will roost with me." She said. Really? Is that an invitation? or a demand? Is it even a way to keep Frieda away from me? I don't know what Bathsheba's reason is, but I don't ask. I sigh and fly with her. We roost side by side on one of the sides of the ceiling. Just roosting there. Its the first time we were this close since the argument. I can see her bruise too. The one Chinook gave her. For the first time, I notice its black and blueish. I hope it will heal ok.

"Does your bruise hurt?" I asked. Not knowing what else to say.

"Not really..Did Chinook call you a freak again?" She doesn't know what to say either. What can we say? I said something was wrong with her, and she said I needed to rethink myself. Well, maybe I do.

"No..He didn't." We left the conversation with just that. Not knowing what else to say. We'r a row now. Frieda on one side, my aunt in the middle, and me on the end.

As I fall asleep, I hope it will be better hen I wake up. The owls hunting us, Shade being gone, Chinook ignoring me, my aunt and I fighting, this hole leadership war Aunt Bathsheba is having with Frieda. It all needs to stop. Its making this migration almost impossible to do. Maybe if I just talked to Aunt Bathsheba about it, she and I can work things out. Maybe Chinook and I can talk too. Maybe Frieda could even become leader again…If my aunt gives the position back. Maybe then it will all be ok again. Not perfect, but ok.

We managed to get a fair amount of sleep, before the lights suddenly turned on. Giving the roost a blinding glare.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, I got busy with other stories. Can you guys guess whats going to happen newt?**


	8. Bathsheba's breakdown and a new mystery

"Go back to your roosts!" My aunt shouted. But no one listened.

Some bats flew out of the roost with fear, others just hung with confusion. What is going on here? I'v never seen anything like this before. I suddenly hear something and look to my left. The entrance was slowly closing.

"I sense danger Bathsheba, we must leave!" Said Frieda, sounding concern. My aunt just frowns.

"Please Auntie, somethings wrong here!" I pleaded. But my please fell on deaf ears.

"No." She looked at me. "Stay out of this, Magnolia." She said coldly, before looking at Frieda. "I'm the leader and I say-"

The giant flower shaped wheel suddenly began to turn, and a loud noise began to fill the roost. Frieda gasped. I could only watch in mute terror as the ind began to pull into the turning wheel.

**"Evacuate immediately!"** Aunt Bathsheba declared in shock. She then flew off from her roost. Frieda and Ariel flew too.

Heart pounding, my feet locked themselves to my roosting spot. Out of fear that if I let go, I'd get sucked in by the powerful wind. I forced myself to look around for a way out. I found one. One the ceiling. It was either that way out, or-Oh no!

The entrance hit the floor. Locking us in.

I looked around again, desperate to see who was still inside. My aunt, Ariel, Frieda, Mercury, and a few others. Chinook, Todd and Breeze must be outside, along with the others. "Let go now, Maggie." The thought sounds more like my father's voice then my minds voice. I let go of my roost and fly to the ceiling. When I'm outside, I look back down inside. "Aunt Bathsheba! Frieda! Ariel! Mercury! Guys!" I called out. I helped the bats get out. Mercury, Ariel and my aunt made it out.

Suddenly, a loud cry rang through the wind. A young silverwing male was stuck. He was hanging on to the tiny human machine shaped object hanging in the middle. He couldn't fly, his body was shaking too violently. To our surprise, Frieda flew over to him, hanging on to the pole. But the wind pulled her away for a minute and she grabbed the wing. Looking back at the wheel. She then climbed up on it and looked back at the scared child. "I'll cut the wind." She said in a gentle voice. Before the young boy could protest, she speed her wings. "Go, now!" She said. The young male did as he was told and flew away. Stepping on a part of the machine and opening it in the process.

Frieda groaned, closing her wings slightly. I can imagine how much it hurts to have her wings starched out like that. She crawls on the machine, trying to get to the least strongest point.

Mercury helped the male out of the roost and pulled him up. "Are you ok?" He asked when the boy was safe. "Y-Yes." He stuttered, still shaken from the wind. I feel a sting of sympathy for him. He must have been terrified. That wheel could have killed him. In fact, it could have killed all of us. I make a mental note to never roost in a place like this again. Wait, Frieda's still in there!

As if reading my mind, Ariel looked back and gasped. I looked too, Frieda was stuck on the tiny machine! Her band was crushed under that lid. Ariel flew back inside before anyone could stop her. Mercury glanced at Aunt Bathsheba and I. "Stay here." He said as he flew back inside. He and Ariel tried to get Frieda out but they couldn't. She was stuck good in there.

"Bathsheba!" Ariel cried out. "Help us!" Her voice was pleading. My aunt made the young male fly away. She then looked back at Ariel, Frieda and Mercury. For a moment, she looked concern. "Please…Please.." I silently begged her. Hoping that maybe she'll help them. Surley she would, right?

I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Its no use, save yourselves!" My aunt yelled back. Her eyes narrowed at Frieda. "_Leave_ her.." She said coldly. The air was knocked out of me. How could she say that?! How can we just leave Frieda like that?! Frieda was a part of my life for as long as I could remember. She was the most wisest bat in the entire colony. She was like a second aunt to me, my friend. I can't leave her! Before she can fly away, I reached out and grabbed my aunts arm. Keeping her from flying away. "No! We have to help them!" I practically yelled at her..Yet again. But with good resin this time.

Aunt Bathsheba struggled to get her arm free of my grasp. "Let go of me!" She demanded. She tried to pull away from me but I kept hanging on to her arm. Refusing to let go. I never threw a tantrum before..Ok, I cried a lot of times in my life, but I never screamed and kicked the ground and pulled at my aunt. But if thats what I have to do to get her to help Frieda, then I'll do just that.

Suddenly, both of us fell into the tunnel. My heart pounded as the strong wind blew me towards the now dangerously fast, spinning wheel. "Bathsheba! Magnolia!" Frieda cried out in shock. My aunt was flying behind me. The sound coming out of her throat could only be described as a terrified scream. I never heard a scream like that before, and the sound itself was enough to make my arms reach out without me thinking. I grabbed the pole with one hand and Aunt Bathsheba with the other. A risky catch, but I was lucky.

I held on to her wrist. Tighter then I ever held on before. I was sure her hand was turning white because of me. "Don't let go!" I yelled at her. She frowned at me. "Why in the name of Nocturna would I let go?!" She returned the grip. Mercury looked at my aunt, anger in his eyes. "Now your gonna have to help us!" He yelled. Aunt Bathsheba just growled angrily at him.

"Save it Auntie!" I yelled at her before she could say anything. The last thing we need is another argument at a time like this. I pulled her closer to me and pulled us closer to the pole until we were both hanging on to it. In a silent agreement, Mercury and Ariel held on to Frieda to prevent her from getting sucked into the wind. As they did that, I reached over and pulled the top off of her band. The second it was off of her, the wind pulled Frieda for a second, but something stopped her from getting sucked into the wind. Ariel, Mercury and I looked to see who it was.

It was my Aunt. She held onto Frieda's back, pressing her on the metal. The two elderly females stared at each other. Frieda not knowing what to say, and Aunt Bathsheba glaring at her.

Despite the obvious distrust, we managed to help Frieda stand up. We then started using the pole to climb out of the wind tunnel. "Almost out..We'll all be safe in a second…Just a little more climbing.." I told myself. Then suddenly, things took a chaotic turn. My aunt's scream stopped me dead in my tracks. I looked back and saw her losing her grip on the pole. "Aunt Bathsheba!" I cried out. My aunt had no time to answer me, her fingers slipped off from the pole!

it scared me to see her flying around uncontrollably. To see her eyes huge with fear, hearing her scream and her white hair flying this way that. I'v never seen my aunt scared before. Let alone, this scared. Without thinking, I jumped from the pole. "Magnolia!" The others cried out, trying to stop me from flying. I didn't listen. I had to save my aunt! I grabbed her arms with my feet. My toe claws digging into her skin. She gasped, and looked up at me. Her face was filled with pure horror.

As I tried to keep a distance from the wheel, I aimed to fly towards the vent. Flapping my wings with a powerful beat, all the while hanging onto Aunt Bathsheba. Despite her overweight figure, my aunt isn't heavy. She's shorter then me, and she's elderly. She doesn't weigh much to me. I manage to reach the air vent but as I get close enough for Aunt Bathsheba to get out, I begin to feel light headed. My heart racing, and my wings and legs becoming numb. Oh shoot! Not now!

I haven't had anything to eat since the night before and I feel very anxious right now…I'm going to faint! I see two air vents, and I'm losing my grip on my aunt. Quickly, I forced my legs up and at the vent. Hoping my aunt could reach it. I could hear her voice but couldn't make out the words. Did I drop her? I couldn't tell. All I know is I'm going to faint and possibly get killed by that wheel. Suddenly, something grabbed me by my wrist. "Hang on, Magnolia!" It was Mercury, he was pulling me out of the wind and through the air vent. My vision has come back now, I can see their faces. Mercury, Ariel and Frieda could all see whats wrong with me. Even Aunt Bathsheba can. I'm relieved that she's safe now, but my heart is pounding too hard for me to speak.

"Easy Maggie, sit down." Said Ariel, taking my hands and helping me sit down.

"Get her a moth Mercury." Said Frieda. Mercury flew away and came back with a moth he had easily caught. He handed it to me, and I quickly took a big bite out of it. The moth made me feel better, having something inside my stomach felt better then almost fainting.

I took a moment to recover before standing back up slowly. By now, I had eaten the moth so I should be ok now. "Feeling better Maggie?" Asked Frieda. "Yeah, I'm fine." I said, rubbing my head. I glanced over at where my aunt was, only to wish I didn't. Aunt Bathsheba was standing there with a shocked look. Her eyes were huge and her mouth hanging open. For a long minute, she and I stared at each other. Not saying anything. Until she finally spoke.

"..You..Saved me again.." Her voice was shaky. I bit my lip, remembering that I promised her I won't scare her by saving her like I did when that bird tried to get her. I broke that promise, and I'v scared my aunt again. No doubt about that.

"Auntie, I-"

"I told you not to do that again.." She frowned at me. "But you..Didn't listen..!" She suddenly charged at me, grabbing me by my wrists. **"HOW DARE YOU DO THAT AGAIN!" **She yelled at me. "Bathsheba be careful with her!" Mercury snapped, Ariel pulled him back. Not wanting him to make it worse. "I didn't know you'd-" She wouldn't let me finish. "**I DON'T CARE IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE A BAT! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT AGAIN, BUT YOU DID! YOU KNOW HOW THAT MAKES ME FEEL MAGNOLIA, BUT YOU DID IT ANYWAY!" **Bathsheba was practically screaming at me now.

"I'm sorry-" I tried to say, hoping that maybe I can calm her down if I just apologized. But she just won't let me talk.

**"STOP IT!" **She squeezed my wrists. For the first time, I realized her own wrists were bleeding slightly. Did I scratch her when my claws grabbed her? **"STOP SAYING YOUR SORRY WHEN YOUR NOT! FIRST, IT WAS HELPING ARIEL AND THAT STUPID, LITTLE RUNT! THEN IT WAS THAT BIRD, NOW ITS THIS!" **Aunt Bathsheba's eyes ere filled with anger. No not anger, rage. But to my surprise, tears were forming in her eyes. In fact, her eyes had fear in them too, and..And..I can only describe her eyes as having intense rage, fear, pain and hurt all mixed into one, big wave of emotion. Not the kind of look you'd want to see in anyones face. Especially not in the eyes of someone you love.

I wanted to say something. With Nocturna as my witness, I wanted to say everything and anything that could calm my aunt down. But she was looking at me right in the eyes, and I knew that anything I said wouldn't help. That I should just keep my mouth shut.

**"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME MAGNOLIA?! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SCARE ME SO BADLY?! WHY CANT YOU JUST HATE ME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES?!" **My heart skipped a beat when I heard that. Did she really just say that? She'd rather me hate her rather then protect her? I'm so taken aback by this that I can't help myself but speak. "Auntie." The second I said that, I imminently wished I hadn't spoke.** "BE QUIET!" **She let go of my wrists and looked at me straight in the eyes. By now, her face was red, and the tears that were in her eyes were now running down her cheeks. She doesn't even notice them. Or maybe she's just too angry to notice them.

**"J-JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" **She then flew away, faster then I'v ever seen her fly. I looked back at Frieda, Ariel and Mercury. By now, Mercury looked more shocked then angry. Ariel looked confused and concern. Frieda looked both shocked, confused and concern. What just happened? I never seen Bathsheba like that before. I can tell the others had never seen her like that before either, not even Frieda. Finally, I ask the question thats on all our minds. "What..What was that all about?" Mercury looked in the direction my aunt flew in. "..That was dramatic..Even for Bathsheba.." He looked back at us. "You have really scared her, Maggie." He said. Ariel itched her head. "I wish she would just tell you whats going on with her, Maggie. It seems like she's not happy with anything." She said.

Ariels kind of right about that. Aunt Bathsheba kind of has everything: She's the leader of the colony, she has power, she can decide what to do and expect the colony to follow her, she's one of the oldest females in the colony and has lived a long life, she has Harold as a friend and she has me as her niece, and Harold and I are always there for her when she needs us. So why is she still not happy? Because I keep scaring her? Or because Harold and the other males aren't with us? Or because Tree Haven was burn down? Or because Frieda, Ariel and Mercury don't like her as a leader? All those reasons might be part of it, but it still doesn't explain why she's so emotional about me saving her whenever she's in trouble. Or her behavior.

Frieda sighed sadly. "I don't think its that simple. Theres something she's holding back, and its obviously bothering her." She said. "Should we.." Mercury's voice trailed off when Frieda shook her head. "Asking her about it may only make things worse. She needs to calm down anyway, we should give her space before talking to her again."

At that moment we started flying back to wherever the colony had retreated to. The hole time, I kept thinking about what my aunt had said.

* * *

When we finally found the colony, No one spoke. All the silverwings looked almost worried. My aunt was in one of the chambers inside the tree, but I didn't dare go in with her. Knowing I'll get yelled at again. But I can't help but glance around the bats, staring into their eyes for a moment. I'm sure I creeped them out by doing this, but I didn't care. Are Harold and I the only ones in this colony who don't hate my aunt? I don't know what I;m upset about. The fact that my aunt told me to just hate her, or the thought that she might be extremely hurt because of something else entirely, and that no one seems to care about it. What if their sons or daughters or mothers or fathers were hurt like that? They would care about them, right? And if Frieda was hurt, they'd care. So why don't they care about my aunt? Because of her behavior?…Or is it because of something else?

With a sigh, I thought about my aunt and I began to remember something that happened while I was a little girl. Just after my parents died.

* * *

_Flashback_

_I was fast asleep, dreaming about moths. When a gasp woke me up. My aunt and I were on the feather bed in the healing chamber, cuddling. Aunt Bathsheba was wide eyed, her mouth hanging open. She looked scared, and sweat was running down her face. I'v never seen my aunt scared before but I didn't think anything of it. I was only a little girl, I didn't know any better. "Baba?" I asked. She looked down at me and sighed. She must have seen the look on my face. "..I'm fine.." She said, looking more nervous then usual._

_Something about her nervous look made me nervous. I climbed on her main and wrapped my arms around her neck. Hugging her. "Don't be scared, Baba." I said, nuzzling her cheek. "If you ever get scared, I'll hug you just like you hug me. That will make you feel better, Baba." Aunt Bathsheba chuckled but wrapped her arms around me and hugged me back. "I know, Maggie." She kissed my cheek, and we both fell back to sleep._

_I use to love snuggling with Aunt Bathsheba. Her arms wrapped around me kept me warm, her fur felt soft against my cheek, and her voice use to make me feel safe. Believe it or not, but Aunt Bathsheba, despite her selfish and ill-tempered manner, was like a second mother to me. I actually did call her that once too. I had called her Mama when I meant to call her Baba. When I called her that, Aunt Bathsheba looked at me with an almost hurt look. To this day, I can still hear her say, "..What..did you..call me?.." At the time, I thought it was because it reminded her of my mother. Just like with me. I began to cry and I ran into her arms and just cried. My aunt just hugged me and rubbed my head. I can't remember if she said anything about it, but neither of us talked about it._

* * *

Looking back on that night, I wonder if it was truly my mothers memory that made Aunt Bathsheba look hurt. That it reminded her that no matter what she does, she couldn't replace my mother or my father.

Or if it was because of another reason. And suddenly, I began to wonder if that incident was linked to her behavior.

What if my Aunt suffered something no one should have to suffer? And whatever it was, is haunting her? If thats the case, then what is it? And why does it involve pain at the mention of motherhood?

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sorry for another late update guys, a lot of personal and family things has happened to me since I last wrote a chapter for this and its been rough. I'll try to write more this month but it will be challenging since its November, and Thanksgiving is always a hard day for me and I have a lot of stress from personal drama to deal with but writing helps me escape from all that. When I write a chapter or a story, I don't have to pretend to be happy when I'm really scared or upset, I don't have to talk, I don't have to feel pressure. I can just be who I am, and go to any world I want to go and not be afraid of what comes next because I can control it, delete it and rethink it as much as I want….Wow I just got really personal there..XD **

**Anyways, please review!**


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